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China gives life sentence to John Shing-wan Leung, Hong Kong resident with US passport, for spying
- Leung, 78, was convicted and sentenced in Suzhou court on Monday for committing espionage activities in China
- Lack of transparency around national security cases does not bode well for Beijing’s stated desire to encourage foreign investment, lawyer says
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![A Hong Kong permanent resident and US citizen has been sentenced to life in prison for spying in China. Photo: AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2023/05/15/7082d581-f0e3-4571-b5e7-bcaa07153fd7_29c9438d.jpg?itok=lzpT6o5T&v=1684124190)
A US-based Hong Kong permanent resident – who is believed to have promoted business and cultural exchanges – was sentenced to life in prison on Monday after being convicted on spying charges in China.
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It comes as China is stepping up efforts targeting spies, especially those from the United States and its allies.
But a lack of transparency around national security cases in China and “mutual recriminations over perceived espionage activities” with the US contradict Beijing’s talk of encouraging foreign investment in the country, a legal expert warned.
John Shing-wan Leung, 78, was arrested in April 2021 by the National Security Bureau in Suzhou, in the country’s east, according to the city’s Intermediate People’s Court.
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