Key facts
- U.S. citizen Min Zin, a scholar focusing on Myanmar, has been designated as wrongfully detained by China.
- Min Zin was arrested on June 3 and accused of endangering Chinese national security.
- The U.S. designation makes securing his release a top priority for the Trump administration.
- The announcement comes weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit the White House.
- Another American, seismologist Youlin Chen, is also considered wrongfully detained by China.
The U.S. has officially designated Min Zin, a U.S. citizen and scholar specializing in Myanmar, as wrongfully detained by Chinese authorities. The decision, announced by a senior State Department official, elevates the effort to secure his release to a top U.S. priority.
Min Zin, who leads a think tank focused on Myanmar, was arrested on June 3 and is accused by China of endangering national security. His detention comes just weeks before U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House, a meeting where rights groups have urged Trump to press for Min Zin's release.
According to the official, Min Zin has been subjected to interrogations, isolation, and detention conditions for nearly 11 weeks. The Secretary of State made the final decision to designate him as wrongfully detained after a careful review. The U.S. also called on China to release other Americans held by Beijing, including Youlin Chen, a Chinese-born American seismologist.
President Trump emphasized that the safety of U.S. citizens globally is his top priority and that China must treat U.S. citizens with respect, releasing those wrongfully detained or under exit bans. Rights advocates contend that China engages in "hostage diplomacy" to gain leverage in bilateral relations, detaining foreigners to exert pressure.
Min Zin, a former student activist in Myanmar's democracy movement, studied political science at the University of California, Berkeley. He co-founded the Institute for Strategy and Policy, which relocated overseas after the 2021 coup in Myanmar. China has publicly supported Myanmar's current administration.