France arrests two for passing secrets to China

PARIS: Two former French spies have been arrested and face treason charges after being accused of passing sensitive information to China, France’s defence minister and security sources said.

The two suspected double-agents were charged last December, but the incident only came to light following French media reports and a statement from Defence Minister Florence Parly.

“TwoFrenchagentsinourservice and probably one of the spouses of these agents are accused of serious acts likely to be considered acts of treason, on suspicions of delivering information to a foreign power,” Parly told CNews television.

“I can’t say much else,” she added. “France has partners but we live in a dangerous world, and unfortunately these types of things can happen.”

A security source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that the men were suspected of working for China.

At least one of them had been posted in the country, French television show Quotidien on the TMC channel reported, adding that the conspiracy had been uncovered by French counterintelligence.

The revelations came just a few weeks after US authorities said they had indicted a former CIA operative on charges of spying for China, following his arrest in January. Concerns about Chinese spying in Australia led to reforms to espionage and foreign interference legislation last year which singled out Beijing as a focus of attention.

The country has long been accused of commercial spying to capture valuable intellectual property, but its national security operations are also thought to have grown in step with its expanding foreign activity. — AFP