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A Chinese Court Has Given a 78-year-old American Man Life in Jail for Spying

China Sentences 78-year-old Us Citizen to Life in Prison

China Sentences 78-year-old Us Citizen to Life in Prison

On Monday, China sentenced a 78-year-old American man to life in prison on spying charges, a case that highlights the worsening of tensions between Beijing and Washington. John Shing-Wan Leung, a Hong Kong permanent resident, has been arrested, although the details of the charges against him have not been made public.

According to a press release published by the intermediate court of Suzhou, China’s southeastern metropolis, Leung was arrested by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency on April 15, 2021.

To combat the spread of COVID-19, China had closed its borders, severely restricted domestic travel, and instituted harsh social controls prior to his detention. Little is revealed about these covert trials and probes beyond broad allegations of infiltration, intelligence collecting, and threats to state security.

China Sentences 78-year-old Us Citizen to Life in Prison

Trade, technology, human rights, and China’s increasingly aggressive approach to its territorial claims including self-governing Taiwan and the South China Sea have all contributed to the worst state of relations between Washington and Beijing in decades.

Mixed signals from Beijing have caused the postponement of high-level government visits and the postponing of substantial investments by U.S. corporations. At the same time that the sentence was handed down, Vice President Joe Biden was in Papua New Guinea, a Pacific island nation in a region where China has attempted to enhance its economic, military, and diplomatic clout.

Following Beijing’s expansion into the region, the United States and its Asia-Pacific allies increased their presence there, providing investments and financial support on par with China’s. China is investing heavily on infrastructure from Europe to Southeast Asia and beyond, increasing its position as the world’s second-largest economy.

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Spying allegations are highly selective and evidence supporting them is not revealed, even though the Suzhou court gave no hint of a connection to overall China-U.S. ties. Most nations follow this practice because it is the norm for protecting sensitive data, communications, and networks.

Demands for more information and judicial appeals are thwarted by China’s authoritarian political system and the ruling Communist Party’s total control over legal matters, civil society, and freedom of communication.

There was no immediate response from the U.S. Embassy regarding Leung’s detention. There was also no comment from the authorities of Hong Kong, a former British territory that was returned to China in 1997.

For more information on the 78-year-old American man who was given a life sentence for espionage in China, see the tweet below:

Beijing has virtually reneged on its pledge to allow Hong Kong to keep its financial, social, and political freedoms after it cracked down on pro-democracy protestors and imposed a comprehensive national security law in 2020.

As part of an escalating crackdown on foreign companies providing sensitive economic data, Chinese national security officials have raided the offices of multinational business consulting firms in Beijing and other cities.

As Xi Jinping’s government exerts more control over the economy, pressure on foreign corporations operating in China has increased. In sharp contrast, attempts were made to woo back foreign investors when severe COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were relaxed at the beginning of the year.

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