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The individual was indicted recently in line with the law, Mao
Ning, a spokesperson at the ministry, said at a regular press
conference when asked about the indictment of a Japanese
employee of Astellas Pharma Inc.
Ties between China and Japan have grown tense in recent years as
they contend with issues from territorial claims to Tokyo's
decision to release treated water from the crippled Fukushima
nuclear plant into the sea.
Arrests of Japanese citizens in China have fuelled those
tensions.
The detention of the Astellas employee in China last year has
cast a chilling effect on business, some Japanese officials have
said, contributing to a drop in foreign investment and an exodus
of Japanese expatriates.
The Japanese pharmaceutical company said on Wednesday that one
of its Japanese employees detained since March 2023 on suspicion
of spying had been indicted by Chinese authorities, without
naming the individual.
Japan's foreign ministry said a man in his 50s detained in
Beijing last year was indicted in mid-August, also without
identifying the person.
"China is a country with the rule of law, that investigates and
deals with law-breaking and illegal activities in accordance
with the law," Mao said.
"At the same time (China) safeguards the legitimate rights and
interests of the people involved, and facilitates the duties of
Japanese consular officials stationed in China," she said.
(Reporting by Colleen Howe; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by
Alison Williams and Bernadette Baum)
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