A court in China has sentenced a 78-year-old U.S. citizen to life in prison on espionage charges.

John Shing-Wan Leung, who has a U.S. passport and permanent residence in Hong Kong, was convicted by the court in the eastern city of Suzhou, near Shanghai, on Monday.

The court also confiscated Mr Leung’s assets worth about ¥500,000 ($72,000).

Few details are known about the allegations against Mr Leung beyond that he was arrested in April 2021.

U.S. officials have not commented on his conviction.

As the relationship between the two countries deteriorated in recent years, the United States has also increasingly taken action against Chinese nationals accused of spying.

(dpa/NAN)