Japan Ambassador Meets with Indicted National in China

Beijing, Sept. 2 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi met Monday with a Japanese man indicted by Chinese authorities on charges of espionage, sources said.

The ambassador had a meeting with the man, an employee of Astellas Pharma Inc. in his 50s, for the first time since his indictment came to light last month.

The man said he had no particular health problems, and Kanasugi conveyed the Japanese government's intention to continue seeking his early release, said the sources with expertise on bilateral affairs.

The man was detained in Beijing in March 2023 just before his planned return to Japan and was formally arrested in October the same year. He was charged with spying last month, but Beijing has not disclosed the details of the allegations.

His detainment is expected to be prolonged as trial procedures are set to begin.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]