Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has warned that Chinese espionage activities could target German research institutions involved in cooperation with Chinese universities, citing insufficient awareness of security risks within parts of the research sector.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany’s domestic intelligence service, told the Handelsblatt that China had been building a “comprehensive system of technology and know-how transfer” for years. According to the agency, the objective was to strengthen China’s political, economic, technological and military dominance.
“The acquisition of technology and know-how can also take place through scientific cooperation with universities and leading research institutions in Germany,” the agency said.
The warning focuses on the possibility that Chinese visiting scholars could be used in pursuit of what the German intelligence service described as the Chinese government’s “strategic ambitions”. The agency said particular attention should be paid to emerging technologies including quantum technology, artificial intelligence and hypersonic technology, as well as biotechnology and surveillance technologies.
The research fields identified by the agency include technologies with both civilian and military applications. That dual-use potential is central to the intelligence service’s concern over scientific cooperation, although the warning does not state that Chinese researchers participating in German academic programmes are themselves engaged in espionage.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution identified several factors that it said could create opportunities for espionage within German research institutions. These included “legal grey areas” and what it described as a “lack of risk awareness” among research organisations.
The agency also warned that Germany’s constitutionally protected freedom of science could be exploited by the Chinese state. The warning places scientific openness and international research cooperation alongside concerns about the transfer of sensitive technological knowledge.
According to the intelligence service, the potential security risks extend beyond conventional research into areas regarded as strategically important for future technological and military capabilities. Quantum technology, artificial intelligence and hypersonic technology were specifically identified, alongside biotechnology and surveillance technologies.
The agency’s assessment forms part of its broader warning about Chinese efforts to obtain technology and expertise. It said scientific cooperation could provide one route through which such transfers occur, particularly when research involves advanced technologies that can serve both civilian and military purposes.
The warning does not call for an end to cooperation between German and Chinese universities. Instead, it identifies vulnerabilities that the intelligence service says can arise from international academic partnerships, including the possibility that Germany’s open research environment and legal protections may be exploited.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution said China’s system for transferring technology and know-how had been developed over a period of years and was linked to Beijing’s stated strategic objective of expanding its political, economic, technological and military position.
