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The United States has criticized China for giving a severe sentence to a well-known journalist, Dong Yuyu. This incident suggests that Chinese authorities view certain interactions between Chinese individuals and foreigners as acts of espionage.
Written by Edward Wong
Writing from the capital
The State Department expressed disapproval of a Chinese court’s decision to sentence journalist Dong Yuyu to seven years in prison. They also expressed support for his family’s plea for his immediate and unconditional release.
On Friday, a court in Beijing issued a sentence for Mr. Dong, 62, who was found guilty of espionage. He had been in custody since February 2022, when he was arrested by Chinese intelligence officers along with a Japanese diplomat during a meal at a restaurant. Mr. Dong is a former Harvard Nieman fellow.
After questioning the diplomat, the officers let him go. However, Mr. Dong was brought to trial in July 2023, but the proceedings were held privately. He is currently the most well-known journalist who is being held in prison in mainland China.
In a statement released on Friday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed disappointment in China’s failure to uphold its international and constitutional obligations to its citizens. He referred to China using its formal initials, P.R.C.
"We commend Dong for his experience as a seasoned journalist and editor, as well as his efforts to strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and China, such as his time as a Nieman fellow at Harvard University," Mr. Miller stated. "We support Dong and his family and urge for his prompt and unconditional release."
R. Nicholas Burns, who serves as the ambassador of the United States to China and has previously worked as a professor at Harvard, expressed disapproval of the sentencing, describing it as unfair.
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