The top candidate for the AfD in Germany, Maximilian Krah, is calling for the expulsion of his former employee, Jian G., from the party. This comes after G. was arrested for espionage activities on behalf of a foreign power. Krah had known about some of G.’s connections to the Chinese embassy and opposition, but did not see any contradictions at the time. Following G.’s arrest, Krah believes he should leave the party to prevent further damage. If not, a party exclusion process will be unavoidable.
G., who became a German citizen in 2011, was a member of the SPD until 2015 before joining the AfD around 2022. Krah and G. have known each other since 2014 and visited China together twice, including the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, classified by German security authorities as a secret service. Krah claims to have met with diplomats specialized in Germany. G. also started a China lobbying association in 2019 at Krah’s behest. Following G.’s arrest, the AfD leadership decided to keep Krah as their top candidate for the upcoming European elections.
Krah stated that G. primarily worked from Brussels, preparing work in committees for international trade, transportation, tourism, and regional development. Krah claims to have been aware of G.’s contacts with the Taiwanese representation, the Chinese embassy, and the Chinese opposition, though not to the extent now known. Media reports in April 2023 had raised doubts about G.’s activities, accusing him of aggressive lobbying for the Communist Party of China and offering trips to China for AfD politicians. Krah and G. dismissed these accusations as racism.
The “Bild” newspaper reported that G. had been registered as an informant for the Saxon State Office for the Protection of the Constitution in December 2007 but had been rejected by the Federal Intelligence Service. G. allegedly provided information on Chinese intelligence activities in Germany without having been given orders. Eight years later, it was suspected that G. was working for the Chinese and pretending to be an informant for German services. Krah criticized the German security services for only monitoring G. since 2020, suggesting that they had been aware of G.’s activities before then.
In response to G.’s arrest, Krah urged G. to leave the AfD to prevent further damage, warning that a party exclusion process would be inevitable if he did not. G., who joined the AfD in 2022, faces charges of espionage for a foreign power. Krah acknowledged some of G.’s connections to the Chinese embassy and opposition but did not see them as contradictory at the time. Krah and G. have known each other since 2014 and traveled to China together on two occasions. Despite the revelations about G.’s activities, the AfD leadership has decided to retain Krah as their top candidate for the European elections in June.
G., a German of Chinese descent, was accused by the General Federal Prosecutor of espionage on behalf of a foreign power, leading to his arrest. G. has denied working to promote the goals of the People’s Republic of China and claimed that he has been unfairly targeted due to his ethnicity. Reports in April 2023 had raised concerns about G.’s activities, accusing him of aggressive lobbying for the Communist Party of China and offering trips to China for AfD politicians. Krah and G. dismissed these accusations as baseless and racially motivated. The ongoing case has brought scrutiny to the activities of the AfD and raised questions about potential foreign interference within the party.
