SENTENCED

American Citizen, 78, Jailed for Life in China on Spying Charges

He was initially detained in April 2021.

China sentenced an American citizen to life in prison over spying charges on Monday. John Shing-Wan Leung, 78, was detained in the southeastern city of Suzhou in April 2021 after China closed its borders during the COVID pandemic. Details of the charges against Leung, who also holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, have not been publicly disclosed, and the trial itself took place behind closed doors. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing acknowledged it was aware of the case but said it was unable to comment on it over privacy concerns. “The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” the embassy told the Associated Press in a statement.