BloombergMay 19 (Bloomberg) -- Germany is increasingly the target of foreign spies -- particularly from Russia and China -- seeking advanced technology and scientific know-how, the Interior Ministry said.
While spies, often under cover of diplomats or journalists, continue to collect information on politics and weapons, those from less developed countries seek technological expertise to avoid research-and-development costs and, in some cases, license fees, the ministry said in an annual report.
“For some intelligence services, espionage targets in the areas of economy, science and technology have played an increasingly large role,” the ministry said.
Germany, Europe’s largest economy, offers a wealth of desirable information because of its central role in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the ministry said. Countries in the Middle East, Far East and North Africa have spies who are active in Germany, it said.
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