Beijing: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said allegations that a German man worked as a double agent for US intelligence were serious and, if true, were a clear contradiction of what cooperation between partners is supposed to be about.
The case risks further straining ties with Washington, which have been sorely tested by revelations in 2013 of large-scale snooping on Germany by the US National Security Agency.
“If the reports are correct it would be a serious case,” Ms Merkel told a news conference in Beijing, standing next to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. “If the allegations are true, it would be for me a clear contradiction as to what I consider to be trusting cooperation between agencies and partners.”
The US has declined to comment on the arrest of a 31-year-old employee of Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency. The man has admitted passing documents to a US contact. Those include information about a parliamentary committee looking into allegations by Edward Snowden that Washington carried out major surveillance in Germany.
