The State Department officially declared on Thursday that a U.S. citizen who was arrested by the Chinese government in June was wrongfully detained, and pushed for his immediate release.
U Min Zin, a longtime scholar on the politics of Myanmar, traveled to Yunnan, China, at the invitation of the Chinese government and was arrested on June 6.
Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images, FILE – PHOTO: In this March 5, 2008, file photo, freedom activist Min Zin (far right) attends the Dissidents and Freedom forum at the Czech Foreign Ministry in Prague.
Chinese officials alleged that Min Zin, “lawfully subjected to criminal compulsory measures by the relevant authorities on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities that endanger China’s national security.”
US citizen arrested by Chinese government on espionage charges
However, Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Min Zin’s detention as “wrongfully detained,” which indicates the U.S. government views the charges levied against the detainee as questionable and possibly politically motivated.
Johnson said the State Department made the determination following “an extensive review.”
Min Zin took part in the democracy movement in Burma, Myanmar’s former name, in the late 80s and fled the country in 1989 to avoid arrest, according to a bio on his blog.
He is the executive director of the think tank, The Institute for Strategy and Policy (Myanmar), and has written for several publications about Myanmar’s politics.
Tierney L. Cross/AP Photo – PHOTO: Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, not shown, to the Treaty Room at the State Department, Aug. 11, 2026, in Washington.
Min Zin was scheduled to speak at an event in Nepal that took place weeks after his arrest.
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In addition to Min Zin, the State Department said that another U.S. citizen, Youlin Chen, a seismologist who lived in Boston, has been wrongfully detained by the Chinese government since November 2024.
Chen was visiting his family at the time of his detainment, and the Chinese government accused him of espionage due to research work he had done for the U.S. government.
Wang Xin/VCG via Getty Image – PHOTO: National flags of China and the U.S. hang from lamp posts on the Tiananmen Square on May 13, 2026 in Beijing, China.
The State Department has refuted the allegations against Chen.
“The safety and security of U.S. citizens is the State Department’s top priority. We will continue to advocate for Mr. Zin and call for the release of all U.S. citizens who are arbitrarily detained or exit-banned in China,” Johnson said in a statement.
