Chinese Journalist Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Espionage
A prominent Chinese journalist, Dong Yuyu, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for espionage, according to his family. Dong, a commentator and editor, was detained by police in February 2022 while meeting a Japanese diplomat at a restaurant.
The verdict, handed down on Friday, named then-Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi and Shanghai-based chief diplomat Masaru Okada as agents belonging to an espionage organization. Dong’s family argued that his published work, which included support for constitutional democracy and political reform, was deemed to be against the position of China’s Communist Party.
Dong had contacts with foreign diplomats, scholars, and other journalists throughout his decades-long career as a journalist and considered Tarumi as a friend. His family said he knew he was being watched by state security, so he wanted to be as open as possible when meeting with foreign contacts.
The conviction has raised concerns about the Chinese government’s treatment of its citizens who interact with foreign diplomats. Dong’s family argued that the verdict sets a precedent, implying that any contact with a foreign embassy or diplomat could be considered espionage.
The U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, criticized the conviction, calling it unjust. “Punishing Dong for exercising his freedom of speech and the press, guaranteed by the PRC’s constitution for all its citizens, is unjust,” Burns said.
