China sentences journalist detained at meal with Japanese diplomat to 7 years for espionage | World Information

The decision named then-Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi and Shanghai-based chief diplomat Masaru Okada as brokers belonging to an espionage group, based on the household’s assertion.

Dong had served because the deputy head of the editorial division at Guangming Every day, one of many 5 main state-owned papers in China. The paper was as soon as thought-about extra liberal than different state-backed papers. Dong additionally contributed to the Chinese language version of the New York Occasions.

In his printed writings, together with essays in addition to opinion articles, Dong had voiced his help for constitutional democracy and political reform, which later have been thought-about to be towards the stance of the Communist Occasion.

He had contacts with overseas diplomats, students, and different journalists as a part of his decades-long profession and counted Tarumi, the ambassador, as a pal.

Nonetheless, his household stated he knew he was at all times watched by state safety, and due to this fact sought to be as open as attainable whereas assembly his Japanese or American contacts.

“With Yuyu’s conviction, each Chinese language citizen, when coping with the Japanese embassy — or maybe some other overseas embassy and diplomat — shall be anticipated to know that the Chinese language authorities might think about these embassies to be ‘espionage organizations,’” stated the household in an announcement. “Each smart Chinese language citizen must be appalled by this reasoning.”

The U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, condemned Dong’s conviction. “Punishing Dong for exercising his freedom of speech and the press, assured by the PRC’s structure for all its residents, is unjust.”