Tokyo, 20 June 2023 (TDI): The arrest of a Chinese researcher in Japan on allegations of leaking sensitive information to a Chinese company has raised serious concerns in China.
On June 19, 2023, in a press conference, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted her country’s concerns over the incident and that it has requested Japan via diplomatic channels to uphold the rights of Chinese nationals and the rule of law while respecting the market economy and fair competition.
In addition, she expressed China’s hope that Japan will promote an enabling environment for cooperation and trade between the two countries in the scientific and technological fields.
Chinese Researcher Arrested over Alleged Information Leak
A 59-year-old Chinese researcher at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) was apprehended on June 15, 2023, on the allegations of leaking information about a fluoride compound-related tech to a Chinese company via email on April 13, 2018, thus violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
After the arrest, the accused’s house was searched, confiscating his belongings. Also, it was revealed that he was connected to the Beijing Institute of Technology, which was sanctioned by the US for having links with the Chinese military and national defense projects.
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The incident is not simply limited to the arrest of a Chinese researcher by Japanese policemen but is related to the ongoing tech war between the US and China, with the former showing concerns and taking measures to prevent the access of the latter to the cutting-edge technology on national security grounds.
Furthermore, the United States urged its allies to follow suit, so in May 2023, Japan enacted restrictions on chip exports to the countries, although China was not particularly specified.
The cases of industrial espionage activities in Japan related to China are an occasional phenomenon, but here the matter of concern is the trajectory of this event that will decide whether the world has to prepare itself for another round of diplomatic breakdown or witness the normalization of ties through negotiations and consultations between two significant tech powers.
