German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday during a news conference in Beijing with Chinese Premier Li Kegiang that if allegations a German intelligence employee spied for the United States are proven true, that would be a "clear contradiction" of trust between the allies.
Merkel spoke Monday while visiting China about the arrest last week of a 31-year-old man suspected of spying for foreign intelligence services. German media, without naming sources, have reported that the man worked for Germany's foreign intelligence service and had passed on information to U.S. agents since 2012.
Speaking at a news conference with the Chinese premier, Merkel said, "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 case risks further straining ties between the long-time allies, which have been severely tested by revelations last year of large-scale snooping on Germany by the National Security Agency, a US intelligence service.
The incident comes as a German parliamentary committee looks into allegations by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden that Washington carried out major surveillance in the European country, including monitoring Merkel's phone.
The White House and State Department have declined to comment on the arrest of the 31-year-old employee of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency.
The man arrested reportedly admits passing documents to a US contact.
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