Chinese court sentences a Japanese man to more than 3 years in prison on espionage charges
The man was charged with espionage in August, and his first hearing was held in November, but no details were released. The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court did not immediately make an announcement after handing down the sentence. Kenji Kanasugi, the Japanese ambassador to China, was present at the ruling, but Japanese reporters were not allowed inside the courtroom, Kyodo reported.
The Japanese government has protested a series of detentions of its citizens in China. An embassy statement called the sentencing regrettable and said the detentions are one of the biggest obstacles to improving people-to-people exchanges and public sentiment between Japan and China. A total of 17 Japanese, including the defendant in this case, have been detained since 2014, when China enacted the anti-spying law. Five remain in China, Kyodo reported.
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