Following the espionage case verdict, China has strengthened its policy of warnings towards the Japanese business community. A high-ranking representative of the Chinese government personally notified an influential Japanese businessman (whose name was not disclosed) about the inadmissibility of espionage activities in China. The warning came shortly after a Chinese court sentenced an employee of Astellas Pharma Inc. in July to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment for espionage.
This communication channel, bypassing official Japanese government structures, is atypical and indicates increased pressure from the Chinese authorities. The Chinese official particularly emphasized the inadmissibility of transferring state secrets outside of China, especially at the request of Japanese intelligence services, mentioning the Public Security Agency as one of such organizations. Despite assurances from the Chinese side about the safety of doing business provided that anti-espionage legislation is observed, precedents of convicting employees of Japanese companies for espionage raise concerns about the selective application of the law. At the same time, during the meeting with the representative of Japanese businesses, hope was expressed for the development of bilateral economic relations, considering the close interconnection of the Asian countries in supply chains.
According to court materials, the Astellas employee provided information to Japanese intelligence and received remuneration for it. The suspect held a managerial position in the Chinese subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc. and was a high-ranking representative of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in the PRC. The detention occurred in March 2023, shortly before his planned return to Japan, the official arrest took place in October of the same year, and the indictment was filed in August 2024.
According to the Japanese government, since the Chinese law on combating espionage came into effect in 2014, 17 Japanese nationals have been detained on suspicion of espionage, five of whom currently remain in detention on the territory of China.