A Japanese Businessman Sentenced Three Years in Prison by China

The Second Middle-class Court (district court) in Beijing, China, sentenced to a Japanese businessman three and a half years in prison with charge of activity of espionage. The court did not explain the details of its decision about the crime of the Japanese who had been arrested in Beijing in 2023. Japanese Ambassador to China, Kenji Kanasugi, immediately expressed his regret on the court decision.

A Japanese businessman in his sixties with Astellas Pharma, who worked for local subsidiary in China, was in custody in March, 2023, just before returning to Japan, and arrested in October 2023. He was indicted with charge of violating the anti-espionage act in August 2024 and the trial started in November 2024. The Chinese authority has not revealed the details of what kind of activity of the man caused the arrest or charge.

 

The trial finished in fifteen minutes with observers from Japanese Embassy including Ambassador Kanasugi. Kanasugi announced that the trial did not reach to a level which can be said as transparent. “It was extremely regrettable that the court sentenced a decision of guilty,” told Kanazugi to the reporters.

 

The government of Japan has been requesting to Chinese government early release of the businessman with demand of guaranteeing human rights he deserves and transparency of court procedures. “The cases of Japanese in custody are one of the greatest reasons that restricts exchange of people or improvement of people’s sentiment against each other between Japan and China,” said a spokesperson of Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Toshihiro Kitamura.

 

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian insisted that China was a state with rule of law and judicial authorities would deal with cases strictly based on laws. And he emphasized that no foreigner in China would need to worry as long as abiding by laws and work within legal requirements.

 

Xi Jinping administration of China activated anti-espionage act in 2014. The law was revised in 2023, which included data, document and goods related to safety and profit for the state as the crimes, in addition to “national secret” that had been the original target. The businessman with Astellas Pharma was in custody just after revision of anti-espionage act. At least seventeen Japanese people were in custody with reasons including activities of espionage since 2015.

 

Because the businessman had a long experience of business in China and had a strong relationship with Chinese officials, the sentence of guilty shocked Japanese business sectors that had relationship with China. Astellas Pharma announced that it made utmost efforts to support its staffs for their health and safety. Some estimate that the sentence would make Japanese companies cautious about business with China.

 

Bilateral economic relations between Japan and China have been on the track of improvement, as China announced resumption of importing Japanese seafoods or beef. However, there remain problems in exchanging people each other. A murder on ten-year Japanese boy in Shenzhen in September 2024 shocked Japanese people. It is still not established a basis for normalizing economic relationship between Japan and China.

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