Washington Designates American Scholar Min Zin ‘Wrongfully Detained’ in China

The U.S. has declared Myanmar scholar and American citizen Min Zin “wrongfully detained” in China, stepping up pressure on Beijing to release him more than two months after he was taken into custody.

“Secretary Rubio has determined that U.S. citizen Min Zin is wrongfully detained in China,” Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, said in a statement. “This follows an extensive review of the circumstances surrounding his June 3 detention in Yunnan, China, where Mr. Zin had travelled to attend an academic conference at the invitation of the Chinese government.” Johnson added that Washington is calling on Beijing to release all Americans arbitrarily detained in China.

Min Zin, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, and founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy–Myanmar, was detained by Chinese authorities after traveling to Kunming, Yunnan Province, for an academic conference in early June.

At the time, China’s Foreign Ministry previously said Min Zin was under investigation for “suspected espionage activities and endangering China’s national security,” but offered few details.

Scholars behind bars

Min Zin’s designation has brought new attention to the case of Chinese-American seismologist Dr. Youlin Chen, whom Rubio formally designated as wrongfully detained in March. Chen, a Boston-area scientist, traveled to China to visit family in October 2024. Officers from the Beijing State Security Bureau arrested him at Beijing Capital International Airport on Nov. 5 as he prepared to return to the United States.

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After months in detention, Chinese authorities formally accused him of espionage and other national security violations in May 2025. Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey has criticized Chen’s detention, arguing that his academic work was conducted openly and that he had collaborated with Chinese scientists for years, with research published publicly under his name.

Markey warned that the case threatens academic cooperation between the United States and China and could discourage international researchers from engaging with Chinese counterparts.

Links to nuclear research

Chen specializes in using seismic data to detect nuclear tests, an area that may have contributed to Chinese authorities’ interest in his work. Kieran Ramsey, a former FBI assistant director and chief investigator for Global Reach, said Chen had never concealed receiving U.S. government funding and conducted his research using publicly available seismic data.

According to Ramsey, Chen’s research included analysis that helped identify details of North Korean nuclear tests. Ramsey has rejected Beijing’s characterization of the case as a legitimate counterespionage matter, arguing instead that Chen’s detention represents an abuse of China’s national-security apparatus.

During more than 600 days in custody, Chen was subjected to more than 100 interrogations while being denied access to a lawyer, according to Ramsey. The ordeal has taken a heavy toll on Chen’s family, particularly his wife, Rong Yufang, who has joined efforts advocating for his release.

Source of diplomatic strain

The cases are increasingly becoming a point of friction between Washington and Beijing. The State Department has confirmed that it raised Chen’s case directly with Chinese officials and called for his immediate release. According to Global Reach, which is working with Chen’s family, President Donald Trump also personally raised Chen’s detention with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during their May meeting in Beijing and asked for his release. Xi reportedly agreed to look into the case, but Chen remains detained.

Global Reach, the Foley Foundation, and Chen’s family have since moved toward a more public advocacy campaign after private diplomatic efforts failed to secure his freedom. Both Chen’s and Min Zin’s cases are now expected to feature in U.S.-China diplomatic discussions, particularly as Chinese leaders prepare for high-level engagements in Washington slated for September.