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

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.

According to an article by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Stones worked in China for four decades with big US firms like General Motors and Pfizer and is believed to be aged around 70.

He set up a Beijing-based investment management consulting firm some 15 years ago, said the WSJ, citing corporate records, online profiles and people who know him.

Mofa spokesman Wang Wenbin said the court had "tried the case strictly in accordance with the law", adding that Beijing had "fully guaranteed the various legitimate rights" and arranged for British officials to visit him and attend his trial.

In a statement, Mr Wang added that Stones was accused of "being bribed into providing intelligence by external forces" .

"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," he said.