China detains Japanese professor on suspicion of spying

The professor, who is in his 40s, was taken into custody in Beijing, with the authorities saying he “violated domestic laws”, indicating that he may have been suspected of spying, according to the sources.

Since 2015, at least 13 Japanese citizens have been detained in China on various charges including espionage. All of them are civilians, making the latest case involving a national university professor, equivalent to a public servant, the first of its kind.

The professor previously worked for the National Institute for Defence Studies in the Japanese defence ministry.

A number of other foreign nationals have been held in China, particularly after a counter-espionage law took effect in 2014 and a national security law in 2015.