- Ian J. Stones, a British businessman who lived in China for many years, was sentenced to five years in prison for espionage in 2022.
- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Stones was found guilty of providing information to “external forces.”
- The UK government had previously been warned of the risk of detention under China's national security laws.
The Chinese government confirmed on Friday that a British businessman who had lived in China for many years has been sentenced to five years in prison in 2022 on charges of espionage.
Asked about the matter at a regular briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Ian J. Stones had been found guilty of being bribed with the intent to provide information to “external forces.” He did not provide specific details about the charges.
Both the UK and US governments have warned of the risk of detention under China's national security laws. Last year, an employee of a Japanese pharmaceutical company was arrested on suspicion of espionage. A new version of the law that came into effect on July 1, 2023 has raised concerns about operating businesses in China.
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The Stones incident was not publicly known until the Wall Street Journal reported it on Thursday. Stones is about 70 years old and has been working in China for about 40 years, according to the US business newspaper. Before he founded the consulting firm Navicino Partners about 15 years ago, his employers included General Motors and Pfizer, the newspaper reported.
The British and Chinese flags are raised in front of Tiananmen in Beijing, China, on January 17, 2008. On January 26, 2024, the city of Beijing confirmed that long-time British businessman Ian J. Stones had been sentenced to five years in prison. He will be sent to prison in 2022 on charges of spying for China. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
Foreign business groups and the government last year called for greater clarity on what foreign companies are allowed to do under what is now known as the anti-espionage law. Of particular concern are increased restrictions on the transfer of data to others and what data would be considered relevant to national security under the law.
Attacks on the offices of three foreign companies, two consultancies and a due diligence firm further rattled the business community.
UK government warns of risks of arbitrary detention and wide scope of national security laws in China. “You may be detained even if you have no intention of breaking the law,” says the international travel advice for the country.
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The U.S. travel advisory states that Chinese authorities “appear to have broad discretion to detain and prosecute foreign nationals on espionage charges, deeming a wide range of documents, data, statistics, and materials to be state secrets.” .
The report said foreigners detained on suspicion of violating the national security law include businessmen, former government officials, academics, journalists and relatives of Chinese nationals involved in legal disputes.
Stones appealed the conviction, but the court upheld the original verdict in September, Wang said.
He said the case was “handled in accordance with the law, and the legitimate rights and interests of both Chinese and foreign parties were safeguarded.”
