After spending six years in a Chinese prison on spying charges, Hideji Suzuki is speaking out about China’s arbitrary detentions of Japanese citizens. Suzuki’s sentence stemmed from a dinner party where he claims he did nothing more than make small talk with a Chinese academic about North Korea. Since returning to Japan in October, he has been trying to raise awareness about the issue and push the Japanese government to take stronger action to aid those who find themselves at Beijing’s mercy. Suzuki is one of 17 Japanese nationals detained on similar charges since 2015, but he is the only one to speak out about his experience and Japan’s weak efforts to help him.
The recent arrest of a Japanese pharmaceutical executive on espionage charges in China has once again tested Japan’s resolve. Despite China being Japan’s largest export market, Japanese politicians and companies have been hesitant to speak out about similar cases. However, with this new arrest, the issue is once again in the spotlight.
2023-04-13 02:00:11
Post from www.nytimes.com