Japanese Pharmaceutical Company Employee Detained in China on Espionage Charges

Chinese Government Does Not Disclose Specific Arrest Reasons
More Than 16 Japanese Nationals Detained on Espionage Charges So Far

Matsuno Hirokazu, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary
Photo by Yonhap News

A Japanese employee of a major pharmaceutical company who was detained in China last March on espionage charges has been formally arrested by Chinese authorities. In Chinese criminal procedure law, 'arrest' is a concept similar to 'detention' in South Korea.

On the 19th, Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, confirmed at a press conference that "a Japanese man in his 50s, who was detained in Beijing in March this year, was formally arrested in mid-this month."

Secretary Matsuno explained the situation, saying, "The government is supporting consular visits and family contact from the perspective of protecting our citizens," and added, "We are strongly demanding early release through various methods and opportunities with the Chinese side."

The man, known to be an executive of the Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas, was summarily arrested on March 26, just before returning home, on suspicion of violating Chinese criminal law and the Anti-Espionage Law. It is known that he has been held in a detention facility in Beijing since the investigation.

At that time, an Astellas official insisted, "The detained man is definitely an employee," but did not disclose his title, age, or details of the detention. The official stated, "It is also personal information and there are many unknowns. We are collecting information through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

According to the Asahi Shimbun, this employee had over 20 years of experience working in China and was well known in the Japanese business community in Beijing. He was also known to have extensive connections, meeting Chinese government officials mainly in the medical field. He was scheduled to return home after completing his term this March.

The Japanese Embassy has reportedly conducted six consular visits to the man so far to check on his health condition. In April this year, then Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi visited China and requested the prompt release of the man from Chinese Premier Li Qiang and others.

Last month, China notified Japan that it had placed the man under "criminal detention," which corresponds to temporary detention, in order to formally arrest him. The Chinese government has not disclosed specific details of the charges against the arrested man.

Various analyses have emerged regarding this move by the Chinese government. Kyodo News forecasted, "There is a high possibility that the man's detention will be prolonged," and "Sino-Japanese relations are expected to deteriorate." Western countries view China's recent judicial action as an attempt to use the man as leverage amid the cooling of Sino-Japanese relations.

So far, the Chinese government has applied the Anti-Espionage Law of the People's Republic of China, enacted in November 2014, to detain more than 16 Japanese nationals on espionage charges. It is known that at least 10 of them have been sentenced to prison terms.

In China, those tried on espionage charges can be sentenced to life imprisonment at maximum. Under special provisions, the death penalty is also possible.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.