Two years after the trial, China said it had sentenced a British businessman to five years in prison on espionage charges.

Beijing confirmed this Friday that a British businessman with a long history in China was sentenced to five years in prison in 2022 on espionage charges.

Ian J. Stones It was accused of being bought to provide intelligence to “external forces,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. Wang Wenbin, when asked about the case at the daily briefing. He did not give any specific details about the allegations.

Government of both United Kingdom like USA It has warned of the risk of detention under China’s national security law. An employee of a Japanese pharmaceutical company was arrested last year on suspicion of espionage. A new version of the law that came into effect on July 1, 2023 has raised concerns about management in China.

Stones’ case was not public until then The Wall Street Journal He reported it on Thursday. The American business newspaper said Stones is in his 70s and has worked in China for nearly 40 years. including his employers General Motors and Pfizer Before he formed a consulting firm, Navisino partnersAbout 15 years ago, the journal said.

Foreign business organizations and governments last year called for more clarity on what foreign companies can do under a law known as the Anti-Espionage Act. Of particular concern are the strict restrictions on transferring data to other parties and what data is considered relevant to national security under the law.

Raids at the offices of three foreign companies, two consultancies and a due diligence firm have further rattled the business community.

The British government warns of the risk of arbitrary detention in China and the wider reach of national security laws. “You can be detained without intending to break the law,” he says in his foreign travel advice for the country.

The US travel advisory says Chinese authorities “have broad discretion to treat a wide range of documents, data, statistics or materials as state secrets and to detain and prosecute foreign nationals for alleged espionage.”

It says foreigners detained for alleged violations of national security laws include businessmen, former government officials, academics, journalists and relatives of Chinese people involved in legal disputes.

Stones appealed his conviction, but the court upheld the original ruling in September, Wang said.

He said the case was “handled in accordance with the law, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese and foreign parties involved.”

(with information from AP)