2023-05-16 09:30:00
US man detained in China convicted of espionage and sentenced to life imprisonment/Adobe Stock
2023.05.16 Tue posted at 18:30 JST
Hong Kong (CNN) An American man detained in Suzhou, China in 2021 was found guilty of spying and sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.
The Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court (equivalent to a district court) posted a short statement on social media.
Liang Cheng-woon, 78, a US citizen and Hong Kong permanent resident, was detained by national security authorities in May 2021 and seized personal assets worth 500,000 yuan (approximately 9.8 million yen). No mention of specific charges.
Chinese authorities and state media have never released information regarding Mr Liang’s detention or court proceedings.
Criminal trials involving national security are usually closed to the public in China, with a conviction rate of regarding 99%.
The U.S. embassy in Beijing said on Monday it was aware that a U.S. citizen had been sentenced for espionage.
A State Department spokeswoman declined to provide details, citing privacy concerns, but reiterated its support for US citizens detained abroad.
China has recently stepped up its crackdown on foreign espionage. In March, an employee of Japanese pharmaceutical giant Astellas Pharma was detained on suspicion of violating anti-espionage laws.
Amendments to the law, which broadened the definition of espionage, were passed last month and will go into effect on July 1.
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