Japanese man provided info to intelligence agency: Chinese court
On Wednesday, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced the Astellas Pharma Inc. employee in his 60s to three years and six months in prison for espionage activities, but the verdict did not touch on specific details of how he acted illegally in China.
It remains unknown which intelligence agency requested the man to collect information about Chinese domestic affairs. The ruling can be appealed within 10 days from Thursday, but the Japanese citizen does not plan to do so, the sources said.
The man was detained in March 2023, just before his scheduled return to Japan, formally arrested in October that year and indicted in August 2024. He stood trial for the first time in November last year in a closed-door hearing at the Beijing court.
The Japanese government continues to demand the early release of the businessman as well as other Japanese nationals detained in China, saying the issue has become "one of the major obstructive factors" for people-to-people exchanges and improvement of public sentiment.
© KYODO
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan election live: Ruling coalition at risk of losing majority
TOKYO -- The Japanese public voted on Sunday to determine the makeup of the nation's upper house, in a crucial vote for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose coalition is fighting to hold on to its majority -- one that it lost in the lower chamber last autumn. The race is set to be very unpredictable, with issues such as inflation, tax and immigration having dominated the campaign. Here are some of our recent articles on this key election: - What the upper house election means for Japan: 5 things to know - Why the bond vigilantes are right about Japan's election - Japanese PM Ishiba has so far failed to resonate with voters - Japan ruling coalition at risk of losing upper house in election: Nikkei poll - Immigration becomes election issue in Japan amid tough economy - Sanseito brings far-right populism to Japan - Japan's rice price shock exposes PM Ishiba to voter anger as election looms Here's the latest: (Japan time) Sunday, July 20 8 p.m. Voting ends. The ruling bloc is at risk of losing their upper house majority, national broadcaster NHK projected immediately after polls closed. 7:37 p.m. The latest data on voter turnout is out. As of 6 p.m., the national figure stood at 26.65%, down 0.71 percentage points from the 2022 upper house election. 7:13 p.m. Some errors have been made at polling stations, according to national broadcaster NHK. In Tokyo's Ota ward, 25 voters were handed the wrong ballot sheets. In Saitama Prefecture's Kasukabe city, there was a similar error involving ballot sheets for constituencies and proportional representation being mixed up. The affected votes could become invalid. 7:00 p.m. Just an hour to go now. 6:54 p.m. Japan's lead tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa on Sunday told reporters that the election results will not affect talks with the U.S., according to Kyodo News. The upper house vote comes amid Tokyo's continued efforts to reach a trade deal with Washington, which has slapped a 25% "reciprocal" tariff that goes into effect on Aug. 1. 6:30 p.m. Here's a few photos from today: 6:15 p.m. The national voter turnout as of 4 p.m. stood at 22.42%, 0.57 percentage point lower than the previous upper house election three years ago, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. For Tokyo, it was 22.87% -- 2.6 percentage points down. According to government data, an estimated 26.18 million people participated in early voting, a record high and over 6.5 million more than in the previous upper house poll. 6 p.m. Just two hours now until voting ends. Exit polls and projections by major broadcasters will start coming in at 8 p.m., and will be updated frequently during the course of the evening as votes are counted.
Yomiuri Shimbun
4 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Akazawa, Japan's Chief Negotiator for Tariff Talks, Plans to Visit U.S. for 8th Round of Talks
Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa plans to visit the United States this week at the earliest for an eighth round for tariff negotiations, he said Saturday at a ministerial meeting. Akazawa told reporters in Osaka about the planned visit after showing U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent around the venue of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. Bessent is the chief U.S. negotiator for Japan's tariff talks. The Aug. 1 deadline of the U.S. imposing its 25% 'reciprocal tariff' on Japanese imports is approaching. 'While protecting Japan's national interests, I want to continue efforts of searching for a possible concession that both sides can agree on,' Akazawa said. If his visit to the United States is realized, it will be Akazawa's first since late June. On the day, Akazawa and Bessent visited the Japanese and U.S. pavilions at the Expo as the U.S. treasury secretary attended an official event for the United States' 'national day' at the Expo. The U.S. did not regard Bessent's visit to Japan as part of the tariff talks. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Bessent met on Friday but exchanged only a few remarks about the tariff. 'We did not discuss tariff-related issues,' Akazawa added on Saturday.
Japan Today
5 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japanese man provided info to intelligence agency: Chinese court
A Japanese businessman, who was convicted earlier this week by a Chinese court for engaging in spying, provided information to an intelligence agency and received rewards, sources familiar with Sino-Japanese relations said Saturday. On Wednesday, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced the Astellas Pharma Inc. employee in his 60s to three years and six months in prison for espionage activities, but the verdict did not touch on specific details of how he acted illegally in China. It remains unknown which intelligence agency requested the man to collect information about Chinese domestic affairs. The ruling can be appealed within 10 days from Thursday, but the Japanese citizen does not plan to do so, the sources said. The man was detained in March 2023, just before his scheduled return to Japan, formally arrested in October that year and indicted in August 2024. He stood trial for the first time in November last year in a closed-door hearing at the Beijing court. The Japanese government continues to demand the early release of the businessman as well as other Japanese nationals detained in China, saying the issue has become "one of the major obstructive factors" for people-to-people exchanges and improvement of public sentiment. © KYODO
