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Intern arrested on suspicion of spying inside NATO and 'being a member of a criminal organization'
Fortune • • world
Key Points:
- Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office launched an espionage investigations following a tip from NATO’s security services, detaining a Canadian citizen of Chinese origin suspected of spying for a third country and being part of a criminal organization.
- The suspect’s home and workplace within NATO’s strategic headquarters, SHAPE, in Mons, Belgium, were raided; SHAPE is responsible for planning and commanding joint NATO military operations and hosts the alliance’s Cyber Security Centre.
- NATO confirmed that SHAPE’s operational readiness and command functions remain unaffected and continue without interruption despite the espionage investigation.
- Both Canada and Belgium are NATO members, an alliance that has identified China as a security challenge due to its military activities and disinformation campaigns, which Beijing denies, claiming its military buildup is defensive.
- The arrest occurs amid tensions within NATO, including criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump over defense spending and U.S. military commitments in Europe, complicating alliance dynamics.
