At least nine of 17 Japanese nationals detained by Chinese authorities since 2014 have been convicted of espionage for allegedly passing sensitive information to Japan’s intelligence agency in exchange for compensation, according to Japanese government sources cited by Nikkei.
The convictions come under China’s sweeping anti-espionage law, which took effect in 2014 and has since seen a sharp rise in foreign national detentions. Chinese judicial authorities reportedly found that the nine individuals provided political and economic intelligence to Japan’s Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA), which operates under the Justice Ministry. The PSIA is tasked with monitoring threats to Japan’s national security, including international terrorism and foreign espionage.
Among those convicted is a man in his 60s employed by pharmaceutical giant Astellas Pharma. He was arrested in Beijing in March 2023 and this month received a sentence of three and a half years in prison. According to sources, he admitted to receiving payments for transmitting sensitive internal Chinese information to Japanese intelligence. Though eligible to appeal his sentence by Monday, he is reportedly not expected to do so.
Another case involved a Japanese man in his 50s who was sentenced to 12 years by a Shanghai court in May. The ruling specifically identified Japan’s PSIA as the recipient of the information.
Of the 17 Japanese nationals detained since the anti-espionage law’s implementation, nine have received prison terms, and five remain in custody. According to Japanese government sources, four of the remaining five have also been found to have cooperated with the PSIA.
Chinese legal reforms introduced in 2018 allowed for more lenient sentences for those who confess to their crimes. The Astellas employee is believed to be the first Japanese detainee to receive a reduced sentence under this provision by admitting to the espionage charges.
“The Chinese side appears to be focusing on cooperation with the Public Security Intelligence Agency itself, rather than the content of the information involved in the cases,” a Japanese government source told Nikkei, reflecting the broader diplomatic tensions underlying the arrests.
Japan’s intelligence agency declined to comment on the cases when approached by Nikkei. The series of convictions marks a significant escalation in China’s enforcement of its anti-espionage law, with implications for Japan-China relations and broader regional intelligence dynamics.
