As tensions rise between Japan and China, a Japanese biopharma employee has reportedly fallen into the mix.
China has detained an employee of Japan's Astellas on espionage suspicions, according to multiple reports.
Neither government has disclosed the man’s occupation, but Astellas confirmed to The Wall Street Journal and other publications that the detained man is one of its employees. His identity and position at the company have not been disclosed.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed in a news conference that the man, in his 50s, was taken into custody in Beijing earlier this month, ABC News reports. The Japanese government has demanded the man’s early release and called on Chinese authorities to allow him access to Japanese consular officials.
The Japanese citizen is suspected of “engaging in espionage activities” and violating China’s criminal law and counterespionage law, Chinese ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said in a Monday press conference.
“I need to stress that China is a country governed by law,” Ning said. “All foreigners living in and traveling to China must observe Chinese laws and those who violate the law and commit crimes will be held legally accountable.”
When asked about the specific violations, Ning noted that the man “certainly knows what his violation was.”
According to Japanese media, the detained man spent 20 years working in China and has a background as a senior official of the Japanese Chamber Commerce and Industry in China, Reuters reports.
Astellas will "place the highest priority on the safety of detained employee," a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Fierce Pharma.
"At this point, we have limited information," the spokesperson noted, adding that the company is "working closely" with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to "better understand the situation."
Last month, the Japanese pharma promoted 37-year company vet Naoki Okamura to the top spot as CEO, which he climbed the ranks to from chief strategy officer. The dealmaker stepped in to lead the company’s upcoming phase of “going on the aggressive to further accelerate growth,” the company said in a release at the time.