• A Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma received a three and a half year prison sentence in China for espionage.
• The man was detained in March 2023 and charged with espionage by a Beijing court.
• Japan's embassy in Beijing called the sentencing "regrettable," urging for his early release.

A Japanese businessman working for Astellas Pharma was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for espionage in China, according to the Japanese embassy in Beijing. The employee was first detained in March 2023 and subsequently charged with espionage in August 2023. Japan's Ambassador to China, Kenji Kanasugi, described the verdict as "extremely regrettable" and has called for the man’s immediate release while providing support, according to aa and al jazeera.

The case, tried in Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, has seen significant backlash from Japan, where officials express concerns regarding the safety of their citizens in China. Since 2014, when China enacted stringent anti-espionage laws, 17 Japanese nationals have been detained, with five still remaining in custody, raising alarms about deteriorating diplomatic relations, as reported by indiatimes and scmp.

The Japanese government has urged China to enhance transparency in its judicial processes, highlighting that recent trials, including this one, were closed to reporters, further amplifying frustrations over the perceived lack of due process. Japanese officials believe such detentions significantly hinder people-to-people exchanges and improve public sentiment between the two nations, according to indiatimes and al jazeera.