Veteran Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage charges by a Beijing court.

Veteran Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage charges by a Beijing court. 

Veteran Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage charges by a court in Beijing. Dong, a former senior editor at the state-run Guangming Daily, was reportedly detained in February 2022 while meeting with a Japanese diplomat in a hotel. Chinese authorities accused him of spying, though his supporters argue that his interactions with foreign diplomats and scholars were routine for his work and reflect his advocacy for more open engagement with the world.

Dong, a recipient of the Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University in 2006, is known for his reform-minded views and commentary on political and social issues in China. Human rights groups and international organizations have condemned his sentencing, viewing it as part of a broader crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression under President Xi Jinping's administration.

This case has drawn significant international criticism, with advocates highlighting the increasing risks faced by journalists and intellectuals in China amid the tightening control over civil society and foreign interactions.