TOKYO (Reuters) -A Beijing court on Wednesday sentenced a Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma to 3-1/2 years in prison, the Nikkei newspaper reported, citing the Japanese ambassador to China.
The man had been detained since March 2023 on suspicion of spying and had been indicted about a year ago.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday that the country’s judicial authorities handle cases in accordance with the law, when asked a question about a Beijing court sentencing an employee of a Japanese pharmaceutical company to prison for espionage. The question did not name the company.
China has always supported China-Japan economic and trade cooperation, and provides a good environment for the lawful operations of Japanese enterprises and personnel in China, Lin told a regular press briefing.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Additional reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Christian Schmollinger)
