The man charged with espionage, Herwig F., pleaded his innocence at the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court on Thursday. According to the indictment, he, his wife, and their business partner allegedly worked for the Chinese intelligence service MSS between February 2017 and April 2024. The three Germans are accused of having procured technical knowledge via a Düsseldorf-based consulting firm that could be useful for expanding China’s maritime combat power.