Proliferation Press


Chinese Spies Released: What’s Behind the Timing?

Posted by K.E. White on August 21, 2007

Iran released two supposed Chinese spies yesterday. The Chinese explanation:

“In early July, two people from Chinese companies mistakenly took some pictures of some sensitive buildings when they were helping local owners to conduct field measurements in Iran,” China’s Foreign Ministry said.

“They were detained by Iranian police and now they have been freed,” the ministry said on a fax sent to Reuters. “Foreign Ministry and Chinese Embassy in Iran have warned Chinese citizens in Iran to behave so as to prevent misunderstandings.”

Proliferation Press blogged on this story earlier. But one question comes into sharper relief: Why did Iran wait until the S.C.O. summit to announce this arrest?

But while an answer to that question may never materialize, there’s always re-reading that priceless Chinese explanation.


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