Two Chinese men suspected of spying were arrested in Camblanes-et-Meynac, a peaceful village near Bordeaux in south-western France. The locals grew suspicious when the men rented a house and set up a large parabolic satellite dish. Around the same time, the area's internet faced unusual cuts. French security agency DGSI raided the house last Saturday, seizing a large amount of computer equipment. The suspects, aged 27 and 29, arrived in France last month with work visas claiming to be wireless communication engineers. They are charged with "delivering information to a foreign power... likely to damage the interests [of France]" and are held in custody. Two other Chinese men living in France have also been charged with helping them. According to prosecutors, the suspects tried to capture satellite data from Elon Musk's Starlink network and from military sites to send it back to China. This is not the first case of Chinese spying in south-west France. Last summer, another Chinese engineer was caught near Toulouse for similar acts. Experts say south-west France attracts spies because of its many defense, aerospace, and telecom sites. "Since World War One, the south-west has been a vital zone for French defence research," said Jeremy André, an Asian espionage expert. He also noted China's efforts to form local ties that can be quickly activated. French authorities now publicize such spying cases more openly, showing their firm stance against foreign espionage. The local mayor, Jean-Philippe Guillemeot, found the spying story strange. He said, "Here we tend to get artists, not spies. Maybe they just wanted somewhere nice and quiet."