Man accused of espionage to be released from prison in the middle of next month to complete his sentence in 3 years and June - China

It was learned on the 7th that a Japanese male employee in his 60s of Astellas Pharmaceuticals, who is serving a three-year and six-month prison sentence for espionage in China, is expected to be released from prison in mid-December and return to Japan. It appears that final arrangements are being made for his release date to be December 14th. This was revealed by multiple sources involved in Japan and China.

The man was suddenly arrested in March 2023, just before he returned to Japan after completing his assignment in Beijing, and was indicted in August 2024. At a sentencing hearing in July 2025, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court (district court) found that the suspect was engaged in espionage by providing China-related information to intelligence agencies and receiving compensation, but did not mention the details of the activity.

The Japanese government has repeatedly called for the man's early release at summit meetings, foreign ministers' meetings, and other forums. However, the Chinese side did not respond and did not provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances that led to the detention. Although it remains unclear how long his pre-trial detention period will be counted, if he is released from prison in mid-December, it is expected that his sentence will be completed.

China enacted an anti-espionage law in 2014 under the Xi Jinping administration. Since then, a total of 17 Japanese people have been detained in connection with espionage cases, and five, including this man, are still in prison. There is no foreseeable improvement in Japan-China relations, and anxiety continues among business travelers and Japanese residents in China, who say, ``I have no idea what I will do to get arrested.'' (Japanese company executive stationed in China)