Japan has urged China to release one of its citizens detained in Beijing as soon as possible and allow consular officials to meet with him, the top government spokesman said Monday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference that the Japanese government is in contact with people related to the man, who is in his 50s.
Chinese authorities notified the Japanese Embassy in Beijing this month that they detained the man in the capital for what they said were violations of Chinese law, Matsuno said.
Although Matsuno did not give personal details about the man, Japanese drug maker Astellas Pharma has confirmed he is one of its employees.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Monday the Japanese man was detained on suspicion of engaging in spying activities in violation of China's counterespionage law.
An official from Astellas Pharma refrained from releasing the man's position, age and the circumstances behind his detention for privacy reasons and also because "there are many things we do not know."
"We will continue gathering information through the Foreign Ministry," the official said.
A source familiar with the matter has said the man was held by Chinese authorities just before his planned return to Japan this month.
Beijing has been beefing up its scrutiny of foreign organizations and individuals in the name of protecting national security, with a number of foreign nationals held after introducing a counterespionage law in 2014 and a national security law in 2015.
Since 2015, at least 16 Japanese nationals, excluding the latest case of the Astellas employee, have been detained in China for alleged involvement in espionage activities.