Veteran Reporter Detained Since 2022 Over Diplomatic Meetings Sparks Global Outcry
Dong Yuyu, a former Chinese state media journalist, has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage charges. His family confirmed the sentencing, which took place on Friday, to the BBC. Dong, 62, had been detained since February 2022, when he was arrested while meeting a Japanese diplomat in Beijing.
Dong was a prominent journalist and intellectual who was active in academic and journalism circles in the United States and Japan. Over the years, he built a reputation for meeting regularly with foreign diplomats and other journalists as part of his professional work. At the time of his detention, Dong was serving as a senior staff member of Guangming Daily, one of the five major newspapers directly linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
The arrest occurred the day after the Winter Olympics concluded in Beijing. Dong was having lunch with a Japanese diplomat at a restaurant he frequently visited with foreign contacts. Police arrested both men on the spot. While the Japanese diplomat was released after several hours following protests from the Japanese government, Dong remained in custody.
In the court judgment, Chinese authorities claimed that two other Japanese diplomats Dong had met previously were agents of an “espionage organization,” a reference to the Japanese embassy. Dong’s family has strongly denied these allegations, stating that his interactions were normal for someone in his position. “We are shocked that the Chinese authorities would blatantly deem a foreign embassy an ‘espionage organization,’” his family said in a statement. They further described the verdict as “a grave injustice not only to Yuyu and his family but also to every freethinking Chinese journalist and every ordinary Chinese committed to friendly engagement with the world.”
The trial against Dong was completed in July 2023, but the court withheld its decision for months. During this time, Dong was barred from seeing his family. His sentencing on Thanksgiving night in the United States raised concerns among international rights groups, with some accusing Chinese authorities of timing the announcement to minimize global attention.
The Beijing court where Dong was sentenced had a strong security presence. Journalists and diplomats who attempted to attend the hearing were denied entry, Reuters reported. Advocacy organizations have widely condemned the conviction. Beh Lih Yi, Asia program manager at the Committee to Protect Journalists, called the verdict unjust, saying, “Chinese authorities must reverse this unjust verdict and protect the right of journalists to work freely and safely in China. Dong Yuyu should be reunited with his family immediately.”
Dong’s professional background reflects his deep involvement in journalism and academia. After graduating from Peking University’s law school in 1987, he joined Guangming Daily. Two years later, he was one of the students who participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, an act that led to a sentence of hard labor. Despite this, Dong retained his position at the newspaper, eventually rising to become deputy head of the editorial department. He was known as a pro-reform voice within the publication, according to his family.
Beyond his work at Guangming Daily, Dong was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in 2007, a prestigious program for journalists. He also wrote several articles for The New York Times and held visiting fellowships and professorships at various universities in Japan. His arrest and conviction have sparked outrage among rights groups, who see the case as part of a broader crackdown on dissent and intellectual freedom in China.
The US National Press Club also criticized Dong’s sentencing, describing it as part of a troubling trend where Chinese authorities target journalists and intellectuals. “This is a devastating blow to freedom of the press and intellectual exchange,” the organization said in a statement. The group noted that Chinese courts have historically released sensitive information during Western holidays to avoid scrutiny, highlighting the Thanksgiving timing of Dong’s sentencing.
Rights organizations and advocacy groups worldwide have called for Dong’s immediate release. His case has been framed as emblematic of the increasing risks faced by journalists and intellectuals in China who maintain ties with foreign counterparts. For many, Dong’s situation highlights the growing challenges of advocating for open dialogue and reform in a highly restrictive environment.