China detains Japanese professor possibly for spying

Japanese government, the ball is in your hands. Let’s see how much support you offer one of your citizens. Although the details of this case not yet known, trumped up charges 'and paranoid behavior is on the rise.

Not a great time to be a foreign national in the new ‘Motherland., and by the sounds of it many are packing their bags and leaving. A palatable change in the air has occurred. China becoming increasingly belligerent and aggressive as the forces of reality bare down on them hard. The games up, they know it but refuse to accept it. The shadow has taken over.

@Sh1monM4sada, it doesn't work that way, in Canada. Our legal system doesn't allow childish tit-for-tat vengeance. We're a bit more civilized. And we have a huge Chinese diaspora, some of which, admittedly, is directed by their controllers in Beijing, especially at universities. But we're handling that.

All the major players have spies and the spies are all very from James Bond. All the major players have caught real spies, even China. We don't know in this case and we probably never will.

Yes well we shall see as the actual facts of the case come out,

No. In fact, we won't. We will be spoon fed well chosen tidbits, some thrice filtered, from the Chinese government, then the Japanese government, then the press. We will see a few facts. We will surely see some lies. And we shall see dubious information we will argue over. We won't see "the facts". No way.

Because in most western democracy, arbitrary detention is illegal,

That's a nice dream. I wish it were true. Manus Island, Guantanamo Bay and CIA blacksites say "Nay". The impunity has made it default legal despite what any words on paper might say.

Yes well we shall see as the actual facts of the case come out, however lets just say there are some disturbing precedents. Confidence in the Chinese judicial system is not exactly high.

GyGene: Very informative, thought out comment.

WHAT Is the Lesson? DO NOT GO TO CHINA!

Or is it "Do not SPY in China?" China is far from the only country that ever accused and abused people falsely accusing them of spying or similar crazy, authoritarian charges. I suggest looking up Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange for some recent examples. Look up "Red Scare" and "Hollywood Blacklisting" for some history.

When visiting a foreign country, always use common sense eg. it would not be wise photographing near military establishment's. If in doubt ask before photographing anything sensitive.

China has no right detaining suspected spies and, even though "the details of this case not yet known" they must be trumped up. China, the communist, good for nothings, authoritarian state; how dare they protect there national security, The West would never detain a suspected spy.

For a second there I thought you were making an anti CCP comment. I almost fell out of my chair.

Julian Assange? Traitor, plenty of evidence of him conspiring with Russia, coordinating with Russia to damage the west. He lost his claim to be a defender of free speech when he started taking side.

Really. How can an Australian be a traitor to the USA?

And let me know when Russia extradites an American publisher for printing files from hacked Russian government servers. And calls him a traitor!

What did he do ???.

People can't easily go to China even usual sightseers. When you go, you better say farewell to your family in case. If he/she is suspected of spying (even taking pictures of views) somewhere by police, then he/she will be automatically arrested/detained for years without warrant.

The West would never detain a suspected spy.

Because in most western democracy, arbitrary detention is illegal, and there are specific requirements before law enforcement could arrest someone, even on charges of spying.

It's time the western alliance introduce 'reciprocity' provisions, eg if the Canadians diplimats are locked up, the daughter of Huawei founder should also be locked up in Canada, ie reciprocity provisions means her own country will have forfeited her rights in Canada. If western democracy doesn't enact reciprocity provision soon, countries like China will be continually calibrating their laws to gain advantage in matters of national security and trade.

At least in the West we'll know specifically what spies are accused of doing and how they did it

Doubt we'll know any specifics in this case, if at all

Why ?

Scant details on the arrest. So what are the details?

Highly suspect coming out of that country.

He lost his claim to be a defender of free speech when he started taking side.

Utter nonsense. Assange and Wikileaks reported on everyone and everything they could get and they were praised by the U.S. government until Wikileaks started exposing their lies too. Then suddenly he and they were a pariah. And most Americans paid little to no attention to Wikileaks until they exposed U.S. government lies and they suddenly started yelling mentally defective stupidity such as "traitor" even though he is Australian. Why in the world are you mad at Assange for telling you the truth instead of the U.S. government which has been proven to have been lying to you? Going after the messenger is so 100 B.C. Get with the times.

China China China always paranoid, there millions of Chinese running around the world & I am sure 90% or more of them are govt operatives, but you do hear those govts arresting them arbitrarily. Think twice before you go visit China, it doesn't matter whether it is for personal or business. Want to tour china, watch it on youtube. Be very careful, China is brutal dictatorship country.

China China China always paranoid

Most of the paranoia I hear is right here and in English...from non-Chinese. Not many can see themselves or their own governments in a mirror it seems.

China has been stepping up its watch over foreign organizations and individuals in the name of protecting national security since President Xi Jinping came to power.

You can not trust the Chinese judicial system, so as the Hong Kong people says.

Chinese are expert in protecting their national security interest. Masters of espionage and disguise far better than the Russians. They know all the tricks of the game. Do you suppose that they are that intelligent to built fighter planes and super carriers from scratch? Not to mention the bullet trains.

Don't get confused with their smiles.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/china-business/7928036/Chinese-steel-executive-jailed-for-leaking-secrets-to-Rio-Tinto.html

What is secret? What is spying? Is China going to clarify these, or leave it obscure enough to arrest people. The Japanese government ought to demand the release of the professor.

China just picked up two America as well. WHAT Is the Lesson? DO NOT GO TO CHINA!

China's country, China's laws, China's right.

Our legal system doesn't allow childish tit-for-tat vengeance.

Vengeance, never intended. Maintain equilibrium, yes.

If you don't defend the basis of your relation with other countries, you will end up irrelevant. The world is more connected now, countries like China etc with its firewall, seditions laws etc. is shoring up its own defences. What's western democracy doing?

Here's an example, not as extreme as the diplomats example. If you collect demand (say oil) information in China, you're spying or acting against the state (yes China has punished foreign and Chinese nationals for doing this), but if a Chinese national collects oil supply info in Canada, it's fair game. Can you see how that ends up if you're trying to fairly negotiate oil contracts with China?

Why ?

Good question. Why arrest? Why not provide more details of allegations?

There was a lot of pushback against 'The Patriot Act' when it was proposed, Obama dissed it, every other countries including 5 eyes countries dissed it for going too far against freedom. It was to have a 5 years sunset.

Then most every other free countries started introducing their own version, then the sunset clause got canned, Obama extended it indefinitely. It is now considered essential to fight terrorism, around the world. The new threats are suppressive authoritarian regimes calibrating their laws to suppress freedom, we need a 'Reciprocity Act'.

China just picked up two America as well. WHAT Is the Lesson? DO NOT GO TO CHINA!

@Norman Goodman

Julian Assange? Traitor, plenty of evidence of him conspiring with Russia, coordinating with Russia to damage the west. He lost his claim to be a defender of free speech when he started taking side.

That's a nice dream. I wish it were true. Manus Island, Guantanamo Bay and CIA blacksites say "Nay".

@Norman Goodman

Hardly comparable, in fact, by your own words, rather futile. 'Black' sites are illegal, tgey are not part of the legal framework.

Guantanamo - seriously? These are people NO ONE wants, not even their own countries, AND, it's not arbitrary, tgey have broken the laws, in the most heinous ways known to mankind. Tgey can't be returned to their own countries. China would likely shoot them or harvest their organs.

Manus? Seriously, these people entered a country illegally, hardly arbitrary. They were offered a chance to return to their country, paid for, AND with living expenses, they chose to stay on Manus. Otgers who claimed to be refugees and assessed as such are settled in Australia/NZ/America.

None arbitray.

Kommie pinko China. Case closed. Wha’, trust old panda faced Xi and his despot cohorts?! Right. I have so many social demerits for panda faced Xi jerk, he’d have me locked up if I flew on a China air plane. Which I will not do. Hey Xi, you old kommie pinko despot panda faced jerk. There.

Ricky Kaminski13: " Although the details of this case not yet known, trumped up charges 'and paranoid behavior is on the rise."

China has no right detaining suspected spies and, even though "the details of this case not yet known" they must be trumped up. China, the communist, good for nothings, authoritarian state; how dare they protect there national security, The West would never detain a suspected spy.

SO WHAT !!!!