Behind the repeated detention of Japanese nationals on “espionage” charges lies Xi Jinping’s concept of “Comprehensive National Security” and China’s broadly defined anti-espionage law. Sekihei offers the clearest explanation of this structure.

There is no newspaper article that has explained what this truly means better than Mr. Sekihei, whom I introduced the day before yesterday.
2016-11-19.
Generally speaking, “national security” is understood to mean the security of a state against external military threats.
2015-10-23.
The other day, I wrote about the news that the fourth Japanese national this year had been detained in China on suspicion of espionage.
There is no newspaper article that has explained what this truly means better than Mr. Sekihei, whom I introduced the day before yesterday.
This is from the October 22 issue of the Sankei Shimbun, from the regularly published column China Watch by Sekihei.
All bold emphasis except the headline is mine.
“Paranoia over ‘espionage charges.’”
On the 11th of this month, it was newly learned that a Japanese woman had been detained in Shanghai, China, on suspicion of being a “spy.”
This brings the number of Japanese nationals detained or arrested in China on the same charges this year to four.
Although the specific “espionage charges” differ in each case, the real issue is what lies behind the rapid increase this year in “spy hunts” targeting Japanese nationals.
One reason may be that China enacted an “Anti-Espionage Law” in November last year.
Article 38 of the law, which defines espionage activities, includes the clause “(5) engaging in other espionage activities,” and this is precisely the problem.
In this case, “other” is completely unlimited, making it a dangerous provision that allows any kind of expansive interpretation.
In other words, as long as Chinese government authorities decide that something is “espionage,” almost anything can potentially be deemed an “espionage activity.”
Behind the creation of such a sloppy “Anti-Espionage Law” lies the concept known as “Comprehensive National Security,” which President Xi Jinping began advocating around April last year.
At the first meeting of the newly established Central National Security Commission of China on April 15 last year, President Xi, who assumed the top position on the commission, delivered an “important speech” and introduced the novel concept of “Comprehensive National Security.”
Generally, “national security” is often understood to mean the security of a state against external military threats, but the “Comprehensive National Security” spoken of by President Xi is different from that.
This manuscript continues.