BEIJING — A British national was sentenced to five years in jail for spying in 2022, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) has now revealed.

The defendant — named as Ian J Stones — committed the "crime of illegally obtaining intelligence for overseas actors", a Mofa spokesman said.

The spokesman added that he had appealed against the sentencing but the case was upheld last September.

This was only revealed in a Mofa briefing on Friday.

An article by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) says Stones worked for China for four decades with big US firms like General Motors and Pfizer.

When asked about WSJ's report, Mofa spokesman Wang Wenbin said the court "tried the case strictly in accordance with the law", the AFP news agency said.

He added that Beijing had "fully guaranteed the various legitimate rights" of Stones and had arranged for UK officials to visit him and attend his trial", the AFP report added.

"The judicial organs strictly promote the handling of cases in accordance with the law, safeguarding the rights and legitimate interests of both Chinese nationals and foreigners," said Wang.

This latest reveal comes as China increasingly publicizes cases of alleged espionage by Western countries.

Beijing has also launched public campaigns to raise awareness of foreign spying and calling on people to report any suspicious activity.

Earlier this month, Chinese authorities said they had detained an individual alleged to be spying for Britain's foreign intelligence service, MI6. — BBC