Arya News - The man, who is in his 60s, was indicted on espionage charges in August 2024 and sentenced to prison, although the details of his alleged activities have not been disclosed.
TOKYO – An employee of a major Japanese drugmaker who was sentenced to 3½ years in prison in China on espionage charges in July 2025 is expected to return to Japan in mid-December after serving his sentence, it has been learned.
According to sources, the employee at Astellas Pharma Inc. was detained in Beijing in March 2023 by China’s national security authorities responsible for espionage investigations, shortly before his scheduled return to Japan at the end of his assignment in the country.
The man, who is in his 60s, was indicted on espionage charges in August 2024 and sentenced to prison, although the details of his alleged activities have not been disclosed.
The man had worked in China for many years and served as vice chairman of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, an economic organization composed of Japanese companies operating in the country. The arrest came as a great shock to the Japanese business community in China.
The Japanese government has repeatedly called for his early release during such occasions as summits and foreign ministerial talks.
Read More:
Astellas employee jailed in China for espionage to be released in December: Japanese media