China and Russia are increasing their espionage in the Netherlands, Gerard Bouwman, head of the AIVD security service, told Nos television on Friday.

The Chinese authorities keep an eye on Chinese minorities in the Netherlands and pressure them to keep out politics, Bouwman is quoted as saying. Family members living in China are often used to add extra pressure, he said
China is also involved in industrial espionage, focusing on the IT and high-end technology sectors.
The Russian secret service is also still active in the Netherlands, with efforts focused on the foreign affairs, defence and innovation ministries.

Terrorist attacks
Meanwhile, the AIVD says the risk of a terrorist attack in the Netherlands has gone up slightly, in line with an increased risk in Europe as a whole.
Nevertheless, the risk of an attack in the Netherlands remains lower than in other EU countries because of the extremist Islamic threat has its origins in the Pakistan Afghanistan border region, the AIVD said.
Internet is increasingly becoming the place where attacks are planned and terrorist networks created, the AIVD said. However, getting a clear picture of the terrorist threat is difficult because of the number of solo operators, such as the Stockholm bomber last December.