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Julian Ryall

A former diplomat at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo who returned home in the second half of last year is reportedly being questioned over the disclosure of sensitive information to contacts in Japan.
The diplomat has been identified as Tang Benyuan. While in Tokyo he was tasked with developing contacts with senior members of Japan's political parties.
Japanese media reported yesterday that following his return to China, Tang, 54, took a position at the Central Party School, where Communist Party cadres are trained.
Kyodo News, citing a number of anonymous sources, said Tang has been out of contact since April.
Another source claimed he had been placed under investigation "for passing sensitive information to Japan".
Tang is the latest Chinese national to apparently face questioning over their activities in Japan.
Zhu Jianrong , a professor at Tokyo's Gakuen University, was detained after arriving back in Shanghai in July last year. He was released in January.
In 2011, Jin Xide , a deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of selling Chinese state secrets to Japan and South Korea.
"It's difficult - if not impossible - to know what is motivating the Chinese to detain these people," said one veteran analyst of Sino-Japanese affairs.
"Professor Zhu always came across as a very reasonable voice for China, and he was respected for his views here. It is difficult to see why the Chinese authorities would want to silence him for that."
Should the reports that Tang has been providing secret information to contacts in Japan prove to be correct, then he is likely to be in a good deal of trouble, the analyst said.
"China has a very broad view of what constitutes a state secret, and it is very possible that he did not even know that his actions would be interpreted as being illegal," he added.
Liang Yunxiang, a professor of Japanese studies at Peking University, said Tang's case, if confirmed, would be an isolated one and would not undermine ongoing efforts by the two countries to improve relations.
Preparations are under way to hold a face-to-face meeting between President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing in November.
Tang was reportedly a member of a party faction headed by Hu Jintao , the former president, and had risen swiftly through the party's ranks. He had served as deputy head of the secretariat of the All-China Youth Federation.
Jiji Press reported that Tang "dined with lawmakers almost every day" and that he was attempting to cultivate contacts deep within the Abe administration.
A spokesman for the embassy in Tokyo declined to comment on the reports.
The foreign ministry in Beijing did not respond to a request for comment.
Additional reporting by Kristine Kwok
 


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Tang Benyuan reportedly being questioned over the passing of sensitive information to Tokyo


A former diplomat at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo who returned home in the second half of last year is reportedly being questioned over the disclosure of sensitive information to contacts in Japan.


Chinese diplomat formerly in Japan missing, amid reports of probe

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Tang Benyuan reportedly being questioned over the passing of sensitive information to Tokyo

Tang Benyuan reportedly being questioned over the passing of sensitive information to Tokyo