Latest news with #AstellasPharmaInc
20 hours ago
- Politics
Astellas Employee Intends Not to Appeal Conviction in China
News from Japan World Jul 19, 2025 18:32 (JST) Beijing, July 19 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma Inc. in his 60s, who was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for espionage in China on Wednesday, has no intention to appeal the ruling for now, informed sources said Saturday. As China uses a two-tier court system, those who are dissatisfied with the first ruling can appeal to a higher court. In the Astellas employee's case, his sentence will be finalized if he does not file an appeal by the deadline in late July. A Beijing district court that imposed the prison sentence on the employee is believed to have found him guilty of espionage for providing information about Chinese politics and the economy to an intelligence agency. Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi and other Japanese Embassy officials were allowed to observe Wednesday's sentencing session. Kanasugi said that the sentence was "extremely regrettable," but he did not provide details of the ruling presented in court. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Prison Sentence for Japanese Employee: Visiting China with Peace of Mind Impossible under Its Judicial System
China cannot be called a nation governed by the rule of law, considering that, throughout the legal proceedings, it was never sufficiently specified what kind of conduct allegedly violated the law. China needs to change its opaque judicial system. The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, a district court, has sentenced a Japanese man — an employee of Astellas Pharma Inc. — who was indicted on suspicion of espionage, to 3½ years in prison. The trial was closed to the public, but Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi and others were allowed to attend the session at which the ruling was handed down. According to the ambassador, the court explained the alleged espionage activities to some extent. But he said, 'It was not something that could be considered transparent.' When the extremely grave judicial decision of a prison sentence is to be handed down, it would make sense to show the content of the judgment. It is obvious that China's judicial procedures deviate greatly from the norms of the international community. China enforced a counterespionage law in 2014 to intensify its surveillance of foreigners. A total of at least 17 Japanese nationals have been detained on suspicion of espionage and other charges. Five of them, including the man who received a prison sentence this time, have not been released. It is extremely regrettable that the Chinese side has not complied with the Japanese government's repeated requests for the early release of the Japanese nationals, including this man. The counterespionage law was amended in 2023. In addition to 'state secrets,' the theft or provision of 'documents and data relating to national security and interests,' among others, were included as acts of espionage. There is concern that this will lead to more arbitrary application of the law by Chinese authorities. Meanwhile, China has shown a willingness to improve relations with Japan. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Communist Party's Political Bureau, stated at a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in Malaysia this month: 'Bilateral relations have shown a momentum of improvement and development. This situation deserves to be cherished.' At the end of June, China lifted the ban on imports of Japanese marine products that it had imposed following the release of treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. It also validated an animal health and quarantine agreement between Japan and China to resume imports of Japanese beef, which have been suspended since 2001. China may be aiming to create distance between Japan and the United States by improving relations with Japan in preparation for an intensified confrontation with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. In Japan, however, concerns that Japanese nationals might be detained in China have spread, mainly among the business community and academic circles, leading to moves to suspend or cancel visits to China or residences in the country. If the safety of Japanese nationals is not ensured, the flow of people traveling between Japan and China will not progress, and building a stable relationship will become difficult. China should be aware of this. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 17, 2025)
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Editorial: China's murky sentencing of Japanese man on spy charge stifles business activity
A Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma Inc. who was detained in Beijing and charged with spying has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Opaque law enforcement in which people are indicted and sentenced without an adequate explanation of what specific actions violated the law will only stifle business activity. The employee, an executive of the local subsidiary of a Japanese pharmaceutical company, had resided in China for a total of around 20 years, and had served as vice chairman of the Japanese Chamber Commerce and Industry in China, comprising Japanese companies. He was detained just before he was due to return to Japan in March 2023, and was charged in August last year. The Chinese government merely stated, "There are suspicions he engaged in espionage activities," but did not provide any specific details. Its actions disregarded his human rights and this cannot be overlooked. Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi, who attended the sentencing, stated, "The guilty verdict was extremely regrettable," and indicated continued support for the man's early release. The Japanese government must continue to persistently urge China to respond. The leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping has prioritized "national security" policies. After its anti-espionage law, which prohibits the theft of state secrets, came into force in 2014, surveillance of foreigners increased, and since the following year, at least 17 Japanese nationals have been detained on espionage and other allegations. In Shanghai in May this year, a Japanese man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, and at least five Japanese nationals remain unable to return to Japan. China has been hit with a real estate downturn and deflationary pressures, and the impact of the high tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump remains uncertain. In an effort to lift its economy, China has started strengthening relations with its neighbors. Since last autumn, China has shown a willingness to improve relations with Japan, and resumed visa waivers for Japanese nationals for short-term stays. However, many Japanese businesspeople and researchers are avoiding visiting China due to fears of detention. When conducting business activities, it is necessary to gather information on legislation and administration. The current circumstances, where Beijing's definition of espionage is vague and where concerns remain about Chinese authorities applying the law arbitrarily, will make foreign companies think twice about investing in China. Crackdowns on businesspeople from the United States, Britain and South Korea have also been reported. If the judiciary lacks transparency, it is impossible to advance business with peace of mind. The Xi administration should recognize that strengthening social control could lead to "China distancing," resulting in a decline in its national power.
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Firms in China More Wary after Astellas Worker Spy Ruling
Beijing, July 16 (Jiji Press)—Concerns are growing among Japanese firms operating in China, after a Chinese court on Wednesday found an employee of major Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc. guilty of spying. The district court sentenced the male Japanese employee of Astellas to three years and six months in prison for espionage. Details have not been disclosed on what acts led to the guilty ruling. 'We don't know what actions (by the Astellas employee) were considered a problem' by Chinese authorities, a senior official of a Japanese manufacturer stationed in Beijing said. 'Unless we know what the acts were, we can't operate our business in China with peace of mind.' The Astellas worker was detained in the Chinese capital in 2023, just before he was set to return to Japan following the end of his assignment in China.. This triggered moves among Japanese companies to avoid sending their employees to the country. After the incident, a midsize manufacturer started handing out smartphones containing minimal content to its employees making business trips to China. This practice is still in place, an official of the company said. The number of corporate employees in Japan seeking posts in China has decreased. 'I've been unable to return home because no one wants to take my place,' an employee of a Japanese trading company in China said. On Wednesday, the third China International Supply Chain Expo kicked off in Beijing, bringing together representatives from governments around the world and multinational firms. An official of a U.S. manufacturer said that the number of corporate employees asking for assignment in China is decreasing also in the United States.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Chinese court sentences Japanese man to more than 3 years in prison on espionage charges
Chinese court sentences Japanese man to more than 3 years in prison on espionage charges (Image: AP) BEIJING: A Japanese business person was sentenced Wednesday to three and a half years in prison in China on espionage charges, according to the Japanese embassy in Beijing. The embassy did not identify the man, who has been detained since March 2023. Japan's Kyodo news agency described him as a man in his 60s and an employee of Astellas Pharma Inc, a major Japanese pharmaceutical company. The man was charged with espionage in August and his first hearing was held in November but no details were released. The Beijing no. 2 Intermediate People's Court did not immediately make an announcement after handing down the sentence. Kenji Kanasugi, the Japanese ambassador to China, was present at the ruling but Japanese reporters were not allowed inside the courtroom, Kyodo reported. The Japanese government has protested a series of detentions of its citizens in China. An embassy statement called the sentencing "regrettable" and said the detentions are "one of the biggest obstacles to improving people-to-people exchanges and public sentiment between Japan and China." At total of 17 Japanese, including the defendant in this case, have been detained since 2014, when China enacted the anti-spying law. Five remain in China, Kyodo reported.
