China detains Japanese man, possibly on spying allegations

Japan’s government says China has a detained a Japanese man and news reports suggest he might be accused of spying.

The chief Japanese Cabinet secretary said Monday a man in his 40s has been held since September in Beijing on unspecified charges of a possible violation of Chinese law.

The Kyodo News agency cited unidentified sources as saying the man may be accused of spying. It said the man was a professor at Hokkaido University and a former Japanese Defense Ministry researcher.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said she had no information on the case. She expressed hope Japan’s government would advise its citizens to “respect Chinese laws and regulations.”