The German prosecutor investigated three people accused of spying for China, media reported that one of the suspects was a former EU ambassador.

"We confirm we are investigating the suspects of spying," the Chinese state security agency, a spokesman for the German federal prosecutor's office, told AFP on January 15.

German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that one of the suspects was a German diplomat who had worked at the European Commission in Brussels before serving as an ambassador to the European Union (EU) in several countries. The other two are lobbyists working for a famous company in Germany.

The former ambassador stopped working for the EU in 2017 and then moved to lobbying company, where he recruited the other two and began spying. Prosecutors accused the former ambassador and one of the lobbyists "of sharing confidential and commercial information with China's Ministry of National Security". The other suspect has not yet implemented but has indicated an intention to do so.

The prosecutor refused to disclose specific information about the suspect and said they had not arrested anyone. However, they confirmed Spiegel's information that police searched homes and offices involving the three in Berlin, Brussels, Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany.