A Greek Air Force officer, Squadron Leader Col Christos Flessas, was arrested and is now held pending trial on charges of spying for China. The 54-year-old appeared before a military judge after testifying for more than eight hours. He may face life imprisonment if found guilty of transmitting highly secret military information to China. Flessas had access to sensitive data, including armed forces technology under development. Greek media said he admitted to taking photos and sharing classified NATO documents using encryption software given by Chinese intelligence. He received special spy training during an undeclared trip to China last year which exposed him. Flessas said in court, “Unknowingly and without intent, I became involved in something that developed in a way that became nightmarish, dangerous and illegal. In my testimony I did not try to justify myself or, in reality, even defend myself … I ask to be punished with a fair punishment.” Greek officials were alerted by the CIA about the leak's severity. The Greek general staff confirmed strong evidence of crimes under military law. Sources revealed Chinese agents first contacted Flessas online and then recruited him at a NATO conference in an unnamed European country. He admitted that he was promised payments between €5,000 and €15,000 for each information transmission, paid in digital currency. Contact with Chinese handlers started through LinkedIn. Nicholas Eftimiades, a retired US intelligence expert, called the case a serious warning. He said, “China’s desire and ability to penetrate the military communications infrastructure of Greece and other NATO members” is clear. China uses espionage to get an advantage in warfare despite claiming friendship. Flessas previously worked as a NATO evaluator in information systems and commanded a telecommunications battalion near Athens. Eftimiades noted that Chinese citizens must legally support espionage efforts, making Western countries vulnerable. Recent arrests in France and Germany show China’s global spying network is growing. Eftimiades explained, “China uses a ‘whole of society’ approach to conduct worldwide espionage… Western societies are open democracies. This makes them extremely vulnerable to China’s covert influence efforts.” Reports say Flessas is cooperating with authorities. Officials fear others in the Greek military might be involved. Experts say the public handling of the case aims to warn about spying risks. Plamen Tonchev, expert in Sino-Greek relations, called the case “unprecedented.” He added, “Greece is seen as a relatively China-friendly country. This is the very first time that China is so openly implicated in an espionage case of this kind.” Tonchev highlighted the potential damage to Beijing’s image in Greece, where China controls much of the Piraeus port, a major entry point for almost a quarter of Europe’s imports from China.