American Academic Detained in China Over Espionage Allegations Amid U.S.-China Relations Reset

BANGKOK — China’s foreign ministry announced Friday that an American scholar specializing in Myanmar and Chinese foreign policy was detained on suspicion of espionage. The scholar, identified as Min Zin, is alleged to have “engaged in espionage activities that endanger China’s national security,” according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian.

The arrest marks a rare instance of Beijing detaining a U.S. citizen on national security charges, occurring shortly after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing to recalibrate bilateral ties. Min Zin was reported missing on June 3 after traveling to Kunming, Yunnan province, for a conference, according to a Burmese activist who requested anonymity due to fears of government retaliation. The activist noted that Min Zin had previously visited China multiple times.

Min Zin, a former student activist during Myanmar’s 1988 pro-democracy uprising—which was violently suppressed by the military government—later relocated to the U.S. as an asylum seeker. While he is no longer actively involved in on-the-ground activism, his work has focused on regional policy analysis. He founded ISP Myanmar, a think tank that has published research on Sino-Myanmar trade dynamics, including rare earth exports, and regularly collaborated with Chinese academic institutions. Min Zin is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley.

Human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the detention, calling for Min Zin’s immediate release. “The circumstances surrounding his arrest are deeply troubling, particularly the espionage allegations,” said Joe Freeman, a Myanmar researcher with the group.

Source link