Overview

• Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court found the 60-something Astellas Pharma executive guilty of passing internal Chinese information to a foreign agency and sentenced him to three years and six months on July 16.
• Sources indicate he will not appeal by the July 28 deadline, making the sentence final after more than two years of pretrial detention.
• Investigators explained reduced sentencing for confessions under China’s 2018 criminal procedure law and the executive ultimately admitted guilt during interrogations.
• With at least two years of pretrial detention to be credited, the remaining custodial term is expected to be about 18 months.
• Tokyo has intensified diplomatic efforts for consular access and his early release despite the secrecy surrounding the espionage allegations.