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Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga holds a press conference after the arrest of two Japanese men on suspicion of spying. Photo:AP

China detains two more Japanese nationals for 'spying', bringing total to four

Two more Japanese nationals have been detained in China on suspicion of spying, bringing the number of Japanese held by Chinese authorities for espionage to four, news reports said yesterday.

A Japanese woman in her 50s has been held in Shanghai since June for her alleged involvement in spying on the country, the daily said.

The woman, who runs a Japanese language school in Tokyo, visited China frequently, Kyodo News said, adding that the purpose of her visits was unknown.

READ MORE: China confirms arrest of two suspected Japanese spies – one caught near North Korean border

Separately, another Japanese national in his 60s had been detained in Beijing on similar charges, the said.

China late last month said it had arrested two Japanese citizens on suspicion of spying, a move likely to strain already tense ties between Asia's two largest economies.

Kyodo reported earlier that the two Japanese civilians may have been collecting information about Chinese military activities and North Korea for Japan's national intelligence agency.

In explaining reasons for entering the country to Chinese authorities, the two men suggested they were collecting information at the request of Japan's Public Security Intelligence Agency, the report said, citing Japanese and Chinese diplomatic sources.

READ MORE: Alleged spies 'sent by Japan's national intelligence agency' to gain intel on China military and North Korea

One, a 55-year-old man residing in Kanagawa prefecture, was a North Korean defector and was detained in Liaoning province near Dandong , a border town on the Yalu River facing North Korea.

The other, a 51-year-old regular traveller to China, was detained near a military facility in Zhejiang province.

In 2005, China expelled two Japanese men for collecting data precise enough for military use.

In 2010, four Japanese men were detained for spying on a military base in Hebei province. Three were released; the other was put under house arrest and released a year later.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Two more Japanese detained for 'spying'
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