A Chinese court has sentenced a 78-year-old American citizen to life in prison for spying.
According to a statement on the court’s social media account, John Shing-Wan Leung, also a Hong Kong permanent resident, was convicted of espionage and sentenced to life in prison Monday.
According to the brief statement, Leung was detained by state security authorities in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, on April 15, 2021.
In addition, the court confiscated personal property worth 500,000 yuan ($71,797).
In China, cases involving state security are usually handled behind closed doors, so the authorities and state media have not disclosed any information on Leung’s detention or the court process that led to his conviction.
According to the US Embassy in Beijing, it is aware of reports of Leung’s A 78-year-old American citizen to life in prison for spying charges in china.
There is no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot provide further information.
Beijing and Washington’s relations are at their lowest point in half a century amid intensifying rivalry over trade, technology, geopolitics, and military supremacy at the time of Leung’s sentencing.
As a result, American and Chinese officials are resuming high-level engagements following an earlier dispute over a suspected Chinese spy balloon.
Xi Jinping’s crackdown on espionage has ensnared a growing number of foreigners, including Leung.
A Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma was detained in Beijing on suspicion of espionage in March, marking the 17th Japanese detention in China since the counter-espionage law was introduced in 2014.
Two Canadians were detained for nearly three years by China – former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor.
Their arrest on espionage charges in late 2018 followed the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou by Canada on a US warrant relating to the company’s Iranian business.
In spite of Beijing’s repeated denials, the two men were released on the same day Canada allowed Meng to return home.
From July 1, China will implement a wide-ranging amendment to its already sweeping counter-espionage law.
As part of the new legislation, espionage has been expanded from state secrets and intelligence to include any “documents, data, materials or items related to national security and interests,” including cyberattacks on state organs or critical infrastructure.
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