German Prosecutors Charge Chinese-Born Engineer in Industrial Espionage Case

German Prosecutors Charge Chinese-Born Engineer in Industrial Espionage Case
The headquarters of chemicals maker Lanxess are seen in Cologne, Germany on Nov. 15, 2018. Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters
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COLOGNE, Germany—German prosecutors are pressing criminal charges against a former employee of chemicals maker Lanxess for allegedly stealing trade secrets to set up a Chinese copycat chemical reactor.

The case underscores fears among German officials and executives about industrial espionage in Europe’s largest manufacturing nation.