BANGKOK — A prominent journalist from China has been sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of espionage, according to information provided by his family. Dong Yuyu, who is known for his commentary and editorial work, was apprehended by authorities while engaged in a meeting with a Japanese diplomat at a restaurant in February 2022. Since that time, he has remained in police custody.

The verdict was delivered by the Beijing Number 2 Intermediate People’s Court, but alarming reports indicate that the court did not furnish a copy of the decision to Dong’s legal team or family members. Furthermore, no official announcement regarding the verdict was published on the court’s website or its social media platform, Weibo.

According to statements made by his family, the court’s ruling labeled Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi and chief diplomat Masaru Okada, based in Shanghai, as agents of an espionage organization. Dong previously held the position of deputy head in the editorial department at Guangming Daily, which is among China’s five major state-controlled newspapers, known for its relatively liberal editorial stance compared to others. He also contributed to the Chinese version of the New York Times.

Through his articles and essays, Dong advocated for constitutional democracy and political reform, views that later clashed with the Communist Party’s official narrative. Over his extensive career, he established connections with foreign diplomats, scholars, and other journalists, including friendship with Ambassador Tarumi.

Despite his awareness of being monitored by state security, his family noted that Dong made efforts to maintain transparency in his interactions with Japanese and American counterparts. In expressing their concern, his family stated, “With Yuyu’s conviction, every Chinese citizen will come to understand that engaging with the Japanese embassy—or any foreign mission—could be treated by the Chinese government as associated with espionage organizations. Every reasonable Chinese citizen should find this reasoning alarming.”

The U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, voiced strong opposition to Dong’s sentencing, condemning the punishment as unjust. He emphasized that penalizing Dong for exercising his freedom of speech and press, as guaranteed by the constitution of the People’s Republic of China, is an egregious violation of rights.