On Monday, China handed down a life sentence to a 78-year-old American citizen, John Shing-Wan Leung, on charges of espionage, potentially worsening the already strained relations between Beijing and Washington in recent years.

The specific details regarding the accusations against John Shing-Wan Leung, who is also a permanent resident of Hong Kong, have not been made public.

On April 15, 2021, Leung was apprehended by the local bureau of China’s counterintelligence agency in Suzhou, a southeastern city in China, the Associated Press has reported.

This detention occurred during a period when China had imposed strict domestic travel restrictions, closed its borders, and implemented stringent social controls to combat the spread of COVID-19.

In such cases, investigations and trials are typically conducted in secret, with limited information released to the public.

The charges often revolve around vague allegations of infiltration, espionage, and endangering national security.

Written by staff