China's growing threat to academic freedom www.japantimes.co.jp

Iwatani’s detention marks a potential new, dangerous phase in the CCP government’s undermining of academic freedoms for its expansive regime security interests.
Soon Iwatani’s detention had become international news.
It stated that they were “shocked beyond words” by Iwatani’s detention, warned that academic exchange between China and Japan was being undermined and demanded an explanation for Iwatani’s detention.
A high level Japan-China policy forum scheduled for Nov. 2 was also canceled in reaction to Iwatani’s detention.
In the absence of any clear reason for Iwatani’s detention beyond unofficial allegations of spying, speculation ran rife in social media and the mass media.