Asia University’s Chinese professor Fan Yuntao went missing in February last year after returning to China abruptly, and multiple sources indicate that he may have been arrested by the Chinese authorities.
On April 21st, Kyodo News Agency reported, citing sources familiar with bilateral relations, that Fan Yuntao, a 61-year-old professor at Asia University in Japan, returned to his hometown of Shanghai in late February last year on a temporary basis and has been missing since, with a possibility of being detained.
As of now, Fan Yuntao’s family in Japan still cannot contact him. Before his disappearance, he reportedly told those around him that he was asked to accompany and be questioned by personnel from relevant Chinese authorities and needed proper treatment for a chronic illness.
According to reports, Fan Yuntao is affiliated with the Urban Creation discipline at Asia University, specializing in international law and political science. The Japanese government is also aware of Fan Yuntao’s disappearance and is gathering information.
Based on public reports to date, including Fan Yuntao, two Chinese professors from Japanese universities have disappeared after returning to China last year.
Last month, Kyodo News reported that since last summer when he returned to China temporarily, Chinese professor Hu Shiyun at Kobe Gakuin University has been missing for about half a year. His family in Japan is also unable to contact him, fearing that he may have been arrested by the Chinese authorities.
According to a university spokesperson, Hu Shiyun completed the first semester of courses at the university in August last year before temporarily returning to China. In late September, his family informed the school that they couldn’t reach him.
Japanese broadcaster TBS reported that this month, Kobe Gakuin University inquired about Hu’s whereabouts at the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka but did not receive a response.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has consistently emphasized the so-called “national security,” and the amended National Intelligence Law that took effect in July last year expanded the scope of espionage activities aimed at enhancing social control and encouraging people to identify and catch spies. Incidences of arbitrary detention of foreigners, including Japanese nationals, have been on the rise. Due to the ambiguous definition of national security, this law has raised concerns among foreign residents and the foreign business community in China.