Astellas employee makes no appeal against conviction in China
The employee, in his 60s, will serve his sentence.
He was detained by Chinese authorities in March 2023 just before returning to Japan after his term in China, and was indicted in August 2024.
On July 16 this year, a Chinese regional court recognized his espionage activities, saying that he had been paid to provide information on China's politics and economy to intelligence agencies. The pretrial detention is included in his sentence.
The detention of Japanese nationals in China remains a contentious issue between Tokyo and Beijing, with the Japanese government calling for their early release.
The Astellas employee's sentence is considered relatively light compared with those of other Japanese citizens convicted of espionage in China.
Some see that the light sentence was part of efforts by the administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping to improve relations with Japan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
20 minutes ago
- Japan Today
Japanese woman injured in subway station attack in China
Photo shows the subway station thought to be where a Japanese woman was attacked in Suzhou, eastern China, on Aug. 1, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo A Japanese woman was assaulted while walking with her child at a subway station in Suzhou, eastern China, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury, the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai and sources familiar with bilateral relations said Friday. Chinese authorities detained a suspect allegedly involved in the Thursday evening incident in Suzhou, the same city in Jiangsu Province where a Japanese mother and child were injured and a Chinese woman was killed in a knife attack in June last year. The Japanese government urged China to prevent similar incidents and ensure the safety of Japanese nationals. In the latest incident, the Japanese national was struck with a hard object and was treated at a hospital, according to the Japanese consulate general. It was not immediately clear what led to the attack on Thursday. An informed source said the attack reportedly occurred after the woman and child got off the subway train and the child tried to go to the restroom. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of what China calls its victory in the 1937-1945 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing has warned citizens of rising anti-Japan sentiment. On Sept. 3, China plans to hold a military parade in the capital's Tiananmen Square to commemorate the war anniversary. The consulate general also urged Japanese expatriates in China to remain vigilant when going out, especially when accompanied by children, and to watch for suspicious individuals. A mother whose child attends a Japanese school in Suzhou said, "Parents are all shocked. I will avoid going out with my child." The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it will take effective measures to ensure the safety of foreigners. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China said in a statement Friday that it is "extremely regrettable" that the latest incident occurred following the knife attack in Suzhou and the fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen in September. A Chinese film on the massacre in Nanjing committed by Japanese troops in 1937 hit screens on July 25, with more than 28 million people viewing it in a week, according to Chinese media. The Shenzhen stabbing incident occurred on Sept. 18 last year, the 93rd anniversary of the Japanese bombing of a railroad track near Shenyang -- an event that marked the start of the Manchurian Incident, leading to Japan's invasion of northeastern China. © KYODO
Nikkei Asia
9 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Suspect detained in attack on Japanese woman at train station in China
Crime Victim was struck with hard object and treated at hospital, consulate general says The area around the subway station in Suzhou, where a mother and child were reportedly attacked. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi) SUZHOU, China (Kyodo) -- A Japanese women was assaulted while walking with her child at a subway station in Suzhou, eastern China, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury, the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai and sources familiar with bilateral relations said Friday. Chinese authorities detained a suspect allegedly involved in the Thursday evening incident in Suzhou, the same city in Jiangsu province where a Japanese mother and child were injured and a Chinese woman was killed in a knife attack in June last year. In the latest incident, the Japanese national was struck with a hard object and was treated at a hospital, according to the Japanese Consulate General. An informed source said there is information that the attack occurred after the woman and the child got off from the subway and the child tried to go to the restroom. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of what China calls its victory in the 1937-45 War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing has warned citizens of rising anti-Japan sentiment. It was not immediately clear what led to the attack on Thursday. The Japanese government urged China to prevent similar incidents and ensure the safety of Japanese nationals. The consulate general also asked Japanese expatriates in China to be vigilant about suspicious people when they go out and particularly pay attention if they are with children. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China said in a statement Friday that it is "extremely regrettable" that the latest incident occurred following the knife attack in Suzhou and the fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen in September.
NHK
10 hours ago
- NHK
Japanese national attacked in eastern China
A Japanese national has been attacked with a stone-like object in the city of Suzhou, eastern China. The Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai says a Japanese mother who was with her child was struck in a subway station in the city in the province of Jiangsu on Thursday. The victim was reportedly treated at a hospital, but her injury was not life-threatening and she later went home. Sources say a male suspect fled the scene. Local police told the Japanese side on Friday that the suspect was detained. In June last year, also in Suzhou, there was a fatal attack on a Japanese school bus. A Chinese bus attendant was killed and a Japanese woman and her child were injured. Following the latest incident, the Japanese government asked the Chinese government to promptly apprehend the suspect, prevent similar incidents and ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in China. China says this year marks the 80th anniversary of its World War Two victory over Japan. Related movies are screened and a military parade is scheduled to be held in September. The Japanese Embassy in Beijing is calling on Japanese people to be cautious over a possible increase in anti-Japanese sentiment. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China issued a statement following the latest incident. It says the body takes the incident very seriously and deeply regrets that another such incident happened. The statement says for Japanese companies in China, ensuring the safety of their employees and their families is a fundamental requirement for doing business in China. It says the body strongly urges Japanese authorities, as well as the central and local governments of China, to ensure the safety and security of Japanese nationals and promptly disclose detailed information, including the background of the incident.
