Photo courtesy of Anadolu
The United States has formally declared that American academic Min Zin is being “wrongfully detained” in China, adding another source of friction between Washington and Beijing.
The US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the designation after reviewing the circumstances surrounding Min’s detention in Yunnan province.
Min was detained on June 3 after traveling to southwestern China for an academic conference at the invitation of the Chinese government, according to Washington.
Chinese authorities have accused Min of suspected espionage and activities that allegedly endangered China’s national security.
Min is a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, and the founder of a Myanmar-based research organization. He disappeared in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province bordering Myanmar.
The wrongful detention designation could allow the US government to step up diplomatic efforts seeking his release. Washington also called on Beijing to free Americans it considers arbitrarily detained or subject to exit restrictions.
Min is the second American currently given such a designation in China after Youlin Chen. Beijing has previously detained other US citizens on espionage allegations, including Kai Li, who was released in a 2024 prisoner exchange.
The case comes as the US and China continue to navigate tensions over security, trade and diplomatic issues, with the treatment of detained citizens remaining another point of contention between the two countries.