US Citizen John Shing-wan Leung Receives Life Sentence for Spying in China

China has sentenced 78-year-old American citizen John Shing-wan Leung to life in prison for espionage, a charge that remains unclear. The jailing of Leung, who is also a Hong Kong permanent resident, is likely to further damage already-strained relations between Beijing and Washington. The US State Department has urged China to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, while China's foreign ministry spokesperson said the country's "judicial authorities act in accordance with the law, and their actions brook no interference".