Astellas employee jailed in China on spy charge set for December release, Nikkei Asia reports

A Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma jailed in China on an espionage charge is set for release in December, Nikkei Asia reports. The case has strained Beijing-Tokyo ties and rattled foreign businesses amid China’s expanded counter-espionage law. His release would come despite a crackdown that has seen multiple Japanese citizens detained since 2015, according to rights groups and Japanese officials.

The Astellas staffer was detained in Beijing in March 2023 and later convicted of spying this year, according to prior Japanese media reports. Tokyo has repeatedly urged Beijing to free detained Japanese nationals, and business groups have warned of rising compliance risks, while Astellas and Japan’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment. Watch for official confirmation from Beijing, the exact timing and terms of the release, and whether the employee is deported to Japan. [Developing. This article will be updated.]