France has arrested two suspected Chinese spies who allegedly used a sleepy village in the southwest of the country to gather intelligence. The men, aged 27 and 29, installed a large parabolic antenna in their garden, which was directed at the sky, coinciding with a spate of cuts to internet services in the area.
The French General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) agency raided the house where the pair lived and seized a large quantity of computer equipment. The men were questioned and have now been charged with "delivering information to a foreign power... likely to damage the interests [of France]".
According to intelligence experts, south-western France is increasingly targeted by Chinese spies due to its proximity to defence, aerospace, and telecommunications sites. The region has seen several cases of espionage in recent years, including the detention of a 51-year-old Chinese engineer who was suspected of trying to intercept signals from a French military satellite.
France has recently decided to take cases like this to court, suggesting a greater determination to publicise the espionage threat from China. In one case, a mathematics researcher at a university in Bordeaux was placed under judicial investigation for "providing information to a foreign power".
The latest arrest is likely to be linked to the growing tensions between France and China over intellectual property rights, trade, and security issues. The region where the suspects were arrested has strong ties with China through diplomatic and economic channels.
Locals in Camblanes-et-Meynac, where the suspects lived, are said to have been bemused by the story, with one resident suggesting that they just wanted a quiet place to live.
The French General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) agency raided the house where the pair lived and seized a large quantity of computer equipment. The men were questioned and have now been charged with "delivering information to a foreign power... likely to damage the interests [of France]".
According to intelligence experts, south-western France is increasingly targeted by Chinese spies due to its proximity to defence, aerospace, and telecommunications sites. The region has seen several cases of espionage in recent years, including the detention of a 51-year-old Chinese engineer who was suspected of trying to intercept signals from a French military satellite.
France has recently decided to take cases like this to court, suggesting a greater determination to publicise the espionage threat from China. In one case, a mathematics researcher at a university in Bordeaux was placed under judicial investigation for "providing information to a foreign power".
The latest arrest is likely to be linked to the growing tensions between France and China over intellectual property rights, trade, and security issues. The region where the suspects were arrested has strong ties with China through diplomatic and economic channels.
Locals in Camblanes-et-Meynac, where the suspects lived, are said to have been bemused by the story, with one resident suggesting that they just wanted a quiet place to live.
. The fact that they set up a parabolic antenna in the middle of nowhere is just begging for someone to notice. And don't even get me started on how obvious it was when they cut off internet services in the area. Like, what were they trying to hide exactly? 
. I mean, who expects to have spies living next door? The French are taking a pretty strong stance against this, which is good but it feels like they're also being a bit dramatic about it. "Delivering information to a foreign power" is a pretty broad charge. 
. Are we talking trade disputes? Cyber attacks? Something else entirely? More info, pls!
How reliable is this info? We know China has been trying to expand its influence worldwide, but how do we actually know these guys were spies and not just, like, super into ham radio? 
And what's the connection between the antenna and internet services being cut off? Just a coincidence? Or was that part of some kinda ploy to cover their tracks? 
And what about the local ties with China... are they being used as a front? 
. But at the same time, I don't know if we should be jumping to conclusions here... are these guys really Chinese spies or just some innocent tech enthusiasts with a weird hobby 
. And can we talk about how convenient it is that the region has strong ties with China? 
It's like they were just waiting for an excuse to crack down on espionage 
. I'm not saying France should be lax about national security, but we need more context here before we start cheering 
.
it makes sense though, the region has a lot of defense sites so its no wonder they'd be targeted 
i mean, who wouldn't want to gather intel on what france knows about chinese military tech? 
but seriously, the parabolic antenna thing is wild 
and i love how locals just wanna live their lives without being in the middle of all this espionage drama 
! It's good that the French are taking these cases seriously and going all out to prosecute. I mean, who tries to intercept signals from a military satellite? That's just not cool 
. Anyway, its time someone put China in check and showed them we won't mess around when it comes to our national security 
... I mean, come on, two guys in a sleepy village installing an antenna and cutting internet services? Sounds like something out of a bad James Bond movie 
.
It's not like France hasn't got enough to worry about, what's the big deal? Oh wait, it's because they're trying to get ahead in tech and trade 
... I get it.
France is taking this stuff super seriously now and it's about time. All those aerospace and defense sites in the southwest are like a treasure trove for spies. And I'm sure those 2 guys were just waiting for the perfect moment to strike... or at least, that's what they thought 
.
like, china has been sneaking around france for ages trying to gather intel and now france is having none of it 
the maths researcher thing was a red flag from the start and now this latest arrest is proof that china wont get away with it 
anyway, this is huge news and im so here for it 
sounds like something out of a bad spy movie.
i mean, locals are saying they just want a quiet place to live... same here! 
but i'm curious, why did the chinese spies choose a sleepy village in the southwest? didn't they think the locals would be too distracted by their daily lives to notice what was going on? 
. it's all about intellectual property rights and security issues now, like france's not having it 
. And the fact that they were using it to intercept signals from French military satellites is just insane 
.
.
China's spies are always trying to hack into France's internet services, but honestly who does that? 
.
. It's like, can't we all just get along? 
I mean i get it china's getting all up in France's biz but like come on spies are everywhere 
It's just not that hard to cover your tracks.
. 
Like, what if someone saw the antenna and thought it was weird and now everyone's all suspicious of each other... it just doesn't seem right.
I mean, locals in that village are just trying to live their lives and not have some drama go on in their backyard. 
Can we not just talk 2 each other instead of spying on each other? I mean, south western France is like a hub 4 innovation n stuff... shouldn't that be protected 4? Not this espionage drama. And its just another example of how our govt is always watchin over us... but can it protect our freedoms too? 