US Edition
Chinese Court Sentences Japanese Pharma Executive to 3.5 Years for Espionage
BEIJING, CHINA, JUL 16 – The sentence reflects China's increased enforcement of counterespionage laws, with 17 Japanese citizens detained since 2014, including five still held, officials said.
- On July 16, 2025, a court in Beijing handed down a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence to a Japanese executive from Astellas Pharma on charges of espionage.
- The man, aged in his 60s, was taken into custody in March 2023 and subsequently placed under formal arrest in October, following charges filed under China’s 2014 and updated 2023 counterespionage legislation.
- This case is part of a broader pattern involving 17 Japanese citizens detained in China for alleged spying since 2014, causing alarms among foreign executives and diplomats.
- Japanese Ambassador to China, Kenji Kanasugi, expressed deep disappointment over the court's decision and committed to ongoing efforts to secure the man's prompt release while emphasizing the need for humane treatment and greater openness in the judicial process.
- The sentencing threatens to further strain bilateral relations amid ongoing tensions from security concerns and disputes, with Tokyo strongly protesting the detentions and demanding releases.
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Japan's Foreign Ministry on Monday called on Beijing to release Japanese citizens who have been sentenced in China. Earlier in the day, a Japanese businessman was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in China on espionage charges, and Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Toshihiro Kitamura demanded that the unnamed man, as well as other Japanese citizens imprisoned in China, be released.
In the world of intelligence, it is known that spies pretend to be diplomats. Is it necessary to conclude that Ottawa is the Canadian city where there are the most spies?
Chinese court jails Japanese executive for 3.5 years in spying case
BEIJING: A Chinese court sentenced a Japanese citizen to a prison term for espionage, Nippon TV reported, citing an unidentified Japanese government official, in a verdict that threatens to damage ties between Asia's two largest economies.
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