Japan demands China release its detained citizen.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on March 27 that the Japanese embassy in Beijing had been informed by local authorities that "a Japanese man in his 50s was arrested in Beijing earlier this month on charges of violating Chinese law."

Although he did not provide details such as the identity, position, workplace, time of arrest, or charges against the individual, Mr. Matsuno demanded that China "immediately release the Japanese citizen."

"We have also requested that China allow this man access to Japanese diplomatic officials. The Japanese government is doing everything possible to enable this man to contact the relevant parties," the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan emphasized.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry later stated that they arrested the Japanese citizen on suspicion of "espionage." "We are holding a Japanese citizen on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities, violating China's criminal law and anti-espionage law," said Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on March 27.

Ms. Mao Ning added that China is a country that upholds the rule of law, all foreign citizens must abide by its laws, and those who commit crimes will be prosecuted according to the law.

Japanese government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno demanded that China immediately release the Japanese citizen. Photo: Reuters

Astellas Pharma, a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Japan, acknowledged that the man arrested by Beijing was an employee of the company. The pharmaceutical company also did not disclose any information about the arrested individual, including whether he worked in China.

"We are awaiting notification from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs," emphasized a spokesperson for pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma.

The Associated Press noted that the latest arrests have shocked Japanese businesses investing in China. Investors from the Land of the Rising Sun are worried about the risks of doing business in the world's most populous country.

In China, it is customary for charges related to national security to be kept secret, and trials are often held behind closed doors. In most cases, even when a verdict is reached, details of the case remain confidential.

AP reported that there have been more than a dozen other cases involving Japanese citizens with business or other connections to China who have been arrested on various charges, including espionage.

In October 2019, Chinese authorities arrested a Japanese professor on suspicion of espionage. He was released and returned to Japan the following month.

In March 2020, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the arrest of a Chinese national who was teaching at a university in Japan. Beijing stated that the man later confessed to spying for Tokyo.

Furthermore, last year, China also detained a Japanese diplomat, but after a few hours of questioning, the diplomat was released. This incident prompted a strong reaction from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/nhat-ban-doi-trung-quoc-tha-cong-dan-bi-bat-20230327172232782.htm