China just sentenced a 78-year-old American to life on espionage charges. The move is expected to further fray tensions between Washington and Beijing.
John Shing-Wan Leung was a permanent resident in Hong Kong who was detained by Chinese authorities in April 2021. A court announced the elderly man’s sentence yesterday after a closed-door trial. They provided no details of why Leung had been charged.
A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Beijing said they were aware of the report. Quote: “The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas.”
They provided no further comments, however.
This follows tension over trade disputes, human rights, and more. Notably, high-level officials unofficially paused contact after the U.S destroyed a Chinese spy balloon back in February. Meanwhile, the FBI recently arrested men for running an illegal Chinese police station on American soil.