According to prosecutors, the man named only as "Martin D." was held "on suspicion of expressing willingness to undertake intelligence activities for a foreign intelligence service," adding that he had "contacted Chinese officials in 2024 and offered to hand them sensitive information about the US military."
Prosecutors said that he had been arrested in Frankfurt on Thursday and that his apartment had also been searched.
They say he had worked for US forces "until recently" and that he offered to give China "information he gained as part of his work for US forces".
The investigation is being carried out "in close co-ordination" with German intelligence, they said.
Last month Germany said it planned to tighten security checks for staff in sensitive areas of government and business amid growing espionage fears.
Berlin has seen an increase in suspected spying cases linked to Russia since the Ukraine war, and to China with ties to Beijing under growing pressure.
In the most high-profile case alleged to involve China, an aide to a German far-right member of the European Parliament was arrested in April on suspicion of spying for Beijing.
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