Nov 28, 2019 (NHK) - Japan's Foreign Ministry says a Japanese man in his 50s has been in the custody of Chinese authorities in the southern inland province of Hunan since July.
The ministry says the man was detained in July for allegedly violating Chinese domestic law during a visit to the city of Changsha.
It says staff at the Japanese Embassy in the country have met the man and are collecting information. It adds he has no health problems.
The ministry is asking China to release him as soon as possible, and to clarify charges against him.
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters on Wednesday that his ministry has no information on the matter.
But he noted that China acts in accordance with the law when dealing with foreigners suspected of legal violations.
He said China hopes Japan's government will urge its citizens to comply with Chinese laws and rules, and not engage in criminal activity.
China enacted an anti-espionage law in 2014. A number of Japanese have since been held on suspicion of stealing state secrets and other charges.
But Chinese authorities did not give details of why they were detained or what actions were deemed illegal.
