Belgian federal prosecutors have detained a 52-year-old Chinese-Belgian national in connection with an espionage investigation linked to China, the Federal Prosecutor's Office announced. The suspect, a former senior researcher at the bankrupt semiconductor company BELGAN BV, was arrested in May as he prepared to board a flight to Beijing, though authorities only disclosed the arrest this week.
The investigation centres on charges of espionage, participation in a criminal organisation, misuse of company assets, and unlawful disclosure of trade secrets. According to prosecutors, the suspect held a senior research position at BELGAN while also serving as a director of a Chinese company with similar manufacturing activities, financed by a Chinese investment fund.
“The investigation may point to the unlawful transfer abroad of specialised intellectual property and trade secrets relating to the production of gallium nitride chips,” the Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Gallium nitride is a key material for high-performance chips used in electric vehicles, aerospace, and military applications.
Bankruptcy and suspicious transfers
BELGAN, which was developing a new generation of chips, went bankrupt in 2024, leaving 400 employees without jobs. Belgian authorities had already been investigating the circumstances of the bankruptcy. According to reports from Belgian public broadcaster RTBF, the company was partially acquired by Hong Kong-based Chinese investors, who appointed managers to the Belgian firm. The same investors reportedly set up a similarly focused company in China, GaNkool, and transferred sensitive licences and technologies to it.
The detained man denies the charges, RTBF reported. Prosecutors confirmed that a second suspect is being sought in the case. Authorities have carried out searches and seized data storage devices as part of the investigation.
Rising China-related espionage cases in Europe
The BELGAN case is part of a broader pattern of suspected Chinese espionage across Europe. In June, a Canadian intern of Chinese origin was arrested in Mons, Belgium, for allegedly spying for NATO. The suspect worked in IT at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and had access to sensitive data. A Belgian court has since denied her release, as reported in our earlier coverage.
In 2025, Jian Guo, a former assistant of Chinese origin to German far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah at the European Parliament, was sentenced to five years in prison for passing sensitive EU documents to Beijing. These cases highlight growing concerns among European security services about Chinese attempts to acquire sensitive technology and intelligence.
The European Union has been tightening its scrutiny of foreign investments in critical sectors, and the BELGAN case is likely to fuel further debate about the need for stronger safeguards. The loss of a promising chipmaker and the alleged transfer of its core technology to a foreign competitor underscore the economic and security risks that European governments are increasingly grappling with.
As investigations continue, the case serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between open markets and national security. For Belgium, a country that hosts key EU and NATO institutions, the episode is particularly sensitive.
