Key facts
- President Donald Trump is expected to ask Chinese leader Xi Jinping to free Youlin Chen and Min Zin, two US citizens detained in China.
- Youlin Chen, a seismologist specializing in North Korean nuclear tests, has been imprisoned since late 2024.
- Min Zin, a scholar, was arrested in June.
- The US has designated both Chen and Zin as 'wrongfully detained' by Beijing.
- Trump has previously raised Chen's case with Xi, but no progress has been made.
President Donald Trump is expected to ask Chinese leader Xi Jinping to release US seismologist Youlin Chen and another American during their upcoming summit, according to Chen's wife, Yufang Rong. Trump has made securing the freedom of Americans held abroad a priority.
Chen, a Chinese-born expert on North Korean nuclear tests, has been imprisoned since late 2024. Scholar Min Zin was arrested in June. Both are US citizens and have been designated 'wrongfully detained' by Beijing. Rong stated that White House officials assured her Trump would press Xi for their release. Trump previously raised Chen's case with Xi during a visit to Beijing in May, but no action has been taken since then, Rong said.
A US official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that resolving the wrongful detentions of US citizens is a top priority for the president. Human rights groups and Democratic lawmakers are urging Trump to also address broader human rights issues in China, including the treatment of Tibetans and Uyghurs, and the situation in Hong Kong. Beijing has signaled that democracy and human rights are 'red lines' that will not be discussed.