A family appeal has reached the highest level of US diplomacy, but previous pressure from Washington failed to bring the detained scientist home.
The wife of American seismologist Yulin Chen said the White House assured her that U.S. President Donald Trump would ask Chinese leader Xi Jinping to release her husband during their meeting on September 23.
According to Reuters
Yufang Rong fears that Chinese authorities are preparing a trial for her husband on fabricated espionage charges. She said Chen’s research was funded by the United States, based on publicly available data, published openly, and conducted in cooperation with Chinese scientists.
On September 22, Rong met with representatives of the U.S. State Department and National Security Council at the White House. She said they confirmed during the meeting that Trump intended to raise the issue of Chen’s release with Xi Jinping.
Chen, 54, is one of two Americans whom the U.S. government has determined to be wrongfully detained by China. Washington calls securing their release a priority. The other detainee is scientist Ming Zin, who was arrested in June.
According to Rong, Trump is also expected to call on Xi Jinping to release Zin. The U.S. president already raised Chen’s case during his visit to Beijing in May, but this did not lead to his release.
Resolving cases involving the wrongful detention of U.S. citizens is always one of the president’s top priorities.
– A senior U.S. official
The Chinese Embassy did not immediately comment. China’s Foreign Ministry has said that the country’s judicial system handles cases in accordance with the law and that the term “wrongful detention” does not apply in this case.
What is known about Yulin Chen’s detention
Chen works as a seismologist for a company that carries out contracts for the U.S. government. He studied shock waves from North Korea’s underground nuclear tests. His work was openly funded by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.
Chen became a U.S. citizen in 2011 and settled near Boston. On November 5, 2024, Chinese state security officers detained him at a Beijing airport as he was preparing to return to the United States after visiting family and giving lectures at two universities.
Rong says her husband has been interrogated more than 100 times.
I can’t imagine how difficult it is for him to live there every day.
– Yufang Rong
The seismologist’s wife believes China may be trying to use his knowledge to improve its ability to conceal nuclear tests. The method involves detonating an explosive device in a large underground chamber, reducing the strength of the resulting shock waves.
The United States accused China of using such a method to conceal the detonation of a low-yield nuclear device on June 22, 2020. Beijing denies conducting the test. China and the United States both signed the 1996 international treaty banning nuclear tests, but neither has ratified it.
American diplomats were allowed to visit Chen for approximately 30 minutes once a month. Chinese officials were always present during the meetings. The diplomats read him letters from his wife, and he dictated replies.
Rong also said that embassy representatives assessed her husband’s appearance and psychological state during such meetings. According to her, Chen’s Chinese lawyer was not allowed to discuss the details of these visits with her.
The detainee’s wife is concerned about the conditions of his detention. She claims that Chen is receiving inadequate medical care and poor-quality food. He has high blood pressure and diabetes.
Be strong. Stay optimistic. Many people are helping you. You will definitely return.
– Yufang Rong
The meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping on September 23 will be their second since May. The leaders of the United States and China are expected to discuss ways to stabilize relations, which remain tense over trade, Iran, and Taiwan.
