Chinese envoy, wife detained for leaking 'national security' secrets to Japan: Reports

Beijing/ Reykjavik, Sept 18: China's ambassador to Iceland Ma Jisheng and his wife have been reportedly detained for leaking 'national security' secrets to Japan, a media report said.

Although the news was first reported by the Chinese local media, MingJing News, but the country's officials remain tight-lipped to publicly tell the whereabouts of Jisheng.

As per a report published in Quartz, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted as saying, "I have no information on this."

Jisheng, who is said to have 'welcomed' the typical Chinese criticism of Japan, has held various top positions like secretary in China's embassy in Japan from 1991 to 1995 and then as commissar in Tokyo between 2004 and 2008.

Meanwhile, the Iceland government spokeswoman said, "Ma Jisheng would not return to his post for personal reasons."

57-year-old Jisheng had left Iceland in January this year, but was supposed to return in March. It is not clear that who is representing China in Iceland at present.

The Japanese government, too, has not spoken much on the issue and refrained from comments by saying, "it's basically China's domestic issue".

As per a report, Jisheng was last publicly seen at a ceremony celebrating China National Offshore Oil Corporation's participation in oil and gas source development in Iceland.

OneIndia News