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China sentences US citizen to life in prison for spying

May 15, 2023

A Hong Kong permanent resident who is also a US citizen has been given a life term for "espionage." The US Embassy in Beijing said it was aware of the sentencing, but did not comment further, citing "privacy concerns."

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A Chinese police officer outside a court building
Such investigations and trials are held behind closed doors and little information is releasedImage: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

A 78-year-old US citizen was sentenced on Monday by a Chinese court to life imprisonment for spying.

Reuters news agency reported that John Shing-wan Leung was a permanent resident of Hong Kong and also a United States passport holder.

According to the Associated Press, Leung was detained on April 15, 2021 by the counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou.

News of his sentencing came by way of the WeChat account of an Intermediate People's Court in Suzhou on Monday.

'Guilty of espionage'

The court said in a statement that Leung "was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life."

While the court announced Leung's sentence, no further details were given relating to what he had been charged with.

Media outlets in China and Hong Kong reported that Leung was previously a senior member of the US-China Friendship Promotion Association, a Chinese patriotic group.

The US Embassy in Beijing told news agency AFP that it was aware of the reports that a US citizen had been sentenced.

"The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas," the spokesperson said. "Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment."

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson also declined to comment on the case during a press briefing on Monday.

Relations between Washington and Beijing are frayed with disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China's approach towards territorial claims.

kb/jsi (AP, Reuters, AFP)