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.
The Nikkei newspaper said the jail term was three-and-a-half years.
The convicted man, an executive of Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc, was detained in March 2023 and charged with espionage in October of that year.
The sentence threatens to further strain already tense relations between the two countries, which have been hurt by a range of issues, from Chinese military manoeuvres to Japan’s release of treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean.
Tokyo had sought the man’s release, but Beijing has stood its ground citing the country’s national security. - Bloomberg
