China’s activity in the German market is higher than ever, and the head of the Federal office for the protection of the Constitution Hans-Georg Maaßen, expressed serious concern about this trend. Sputnik discussed the issue with Chinese financial analyst Liu Ying.
There is nothing unusual in the increase in the number of acquisitions of German companies by the Chinese, Liu Ying, researcher of the financial research Institute of people’s University of China, said the official, adding that this trend is a sign of a “healthy and close trade ties between China and Germany”.
“They have nothing to do with industrial espionage as the acquisition of German companies by Chinese enterprises is also beneficial for the German side: fresh cash flow, the creation of new jobs. In addition, German companies gained access to the rapidly developing Chinese market, and this fact is very encouraging,” the analyst said.
His announcement came a few days after the head of the Federal office for the protection of the Constitution Hans-Georg Maaßen, expressed fears about the possible “risks to national security” posed by the Chinese companies in Germany.
According to Maaßen, along with the positive effect of investment, you should always keep in mind that all Chinese companies are obliged to cooperate with the Chinese intelligence, which in turn can lead to data leaks.
“There is no need to conduct espionage […], if you can buy the enterprise”, – said the official in an interview with the “süddeutsche Zeitung”.
At the same time, In assured that acquisitions of German companies are “common practice” and that such cooperation between the two countries will lead to “no adverse effects”.
“Transnational corporations are buying up assets around the world. […] Global distribution of products, research and development, and the establishment of distribution networks is today a common practice. The activities of the people’s Republic of China on foreign markets have nothing to do with trade secrets and technical intelligence. China just became a global investor” – the analyst concluded.
According to the German Ministry of Economics, the current volume of takeover deals between German and Chinese companies amounts to 14 billion dollars. In 2015, this figure reached only $ 530 million.
Germany has repeatedly expressed concern about Chinese espionage aimed at obtaining confidential information. At the end of 2017, in Germany the Federal office for the protection of the Constitution stated that the Chinese intelligence had allegedly converted about 10,000 German citizens with fake social media profiles to gain access to sensitive data. Beijing has denied the claims and called on Berlin to refrain from unfounded accusations.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
