Japanese Astellas employee imprisoned in China set for December release

TOKYO: A Japanese employee of Astellas Pharma sentenced to three years and six months in prison for espionage in China is set to be released in mid-December and returned to Japan, Japanese media reported late on Saturday.

Kyodo news agency and Yomiuri newspaper among others reported the news, citing sources.

The man was detained in March 2023 on suspicion of spying. He was indicted in August 2024 and sentenced in July 2025.

The ruling was "extremely regrettable", Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary said after the sentencing, without identifying the individual or affiliation.

Astellas Pharma, Japan's foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy in Tokyo did not respond to telephone calls from Reuters seeking comment. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The case has been an irritant in Japan-China relations.

Ties between the two have deteriorated since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last year said a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from nearby Japan.

China subsequently urged its citizens not to travel to Japan, saying their safety was at risk. It also throttled exports to Japan of rare earths, minerals vital to the manufacture of products as varied as cars and weapons.--REUTERS