China has detained an American seismologist who tracked nuclear tests for nearly two years on espionage charges, his family reports, writes UNN citing the BBC.
Details
54-year-old Chen Yulin was arrested in November 2024 during a trip to Beijing to visit relatives, reports the human rights organization Global Reach. The family decided to make a statement after seeing no signs of Chen's release by Beijing.
His wife, Rong Yufang, also a seismologist, stated that Chen worked closely with Chinese colleagues and that the accusations are "incorrect and contradict the public and collaborative nature of his work."
His published works focus on North Korea, a close friend of China, long under sanctions for its nuclear weapons program and underground tests.
It is unclear whether Chen's work involved Beijing's nuclear program and in what way. U.S. intelligence suggests that China is developing a new arsenal and has conducted secret tests, which Beijing denies.
At a daily press briefing on Tuesday, responding to questions about the case, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that judicial authorities handle cases in accordance with the law.
"There is no such thing as illegal detention," said ministry spokesman Lin Jian. In China, a conviction for espionage can lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Chen is currently the only U.S. citizen recognized as "unlawfully detained," the publication writes.
Chen, who was born in China, obtained U.S. citizenship in 2011. He resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
At Global Reach, a U.S. nonprofit organization working with Chen's family on his case, as noted by CNN, it was indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump raised the issue of Chen's detention and requested his release during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in May.
According to Global Reach, "there are suspicions within the U.S. government that Chen's arrest was provoked by China's conduct of nuclear tests, which is a violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty."
U.S. Senator Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, stated that "Beijing's treatment of Chen has undermined [its] partnership [with the U.S.] and may deter other scientists from engaging with their colleagues in China." "I hope that increased attention to his unjust detention will compel the Chinese government to do the right thing and release Chen," he wrote in a statement released on Tuesday.
Details of Chen's detention emerged a month after China confirmed the arrest of another American scholar, Ming Jing, director of a think tank specializing in Myanmar.
Beijing accused Ming Jing of espionage and threatening China's national security.
China arrests US citizen on suspicion of espionage12.06.26, 10:51