US designates citizen held in China as ‘wrongfully detained’

Min Zin (Photo: Min Zin / Facebook) The United States on Thursday said it has designated a US citizen held in China on accusation of espionage as “wrongfully detained” and called for his release—along with that of another American. The designation raises the diplomatic stakes around the detention, coming a month before Chinese leader Xi Jinping visits President Donald Trump in Washington. Min Zin, a political analyst at a policy think tank focusing on neighboring Myanmar, was taken into custody in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan on June 3, the US government said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio “has determined that US citizen Min Zin is wrongfully detained,” said Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson. “There are now two wrongfully detained US citizens in China: Mr. Zin and Dr. Youlin Chen.” “We will continue to advocate for Mr. Zin and call for the release of all US citizens who are arbitrarily detained or exit banned in China,” Johnson said in the statement. Johnson said Min Zin “had traveled to attend an academic conference at the invitation of the Chinese government” when he was detained. The Chinese foreign ministry has said he was held “on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities that endanger China’s national security.” Walkover Min Zin is a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M), which researches the political, resource and conflict dynamics of Myanmar, a country plunged into civil war by a 2021 military coup. Some ISP-M publications detail China’s influence in the borderlands of Myanmar, where Beijing is accused of supporting both anti-junta factions and the military in pursuit of its interests. The think tank is based in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, a hub for political exiles from Myanmar since the 2021 coup ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta ruled Myanmar directly for five years before staging tightly controlled polls—backed by China—that excluded Suu Kyi’s party and delivered a walkover win for pro-military parties this year. The Trump administration has sent mixed signals over policy toward China, with the two economic superpowers locked in a tense trade war, but Trump himself touting his warm ties to Xi. Trump met with Xi at a summit in Beijing in May and is preparing the return visit with the communist leader at the White House. China’s human rights record is rarely criticised by the Trump administration, but tensions are growing on geopolitical issues, the latest being the US war against Chinese trade partner Iran. A decade of reporting at a cost In 2025, we marked the 10th anniversary of Myanmar Now. In Myanmar’s history, journalists are often the first targets during political repression. We founded this outlet during a brief window of stability, starting with a small team in a modest office in downtown Yangon. Our goal was simple: to report on injustices that had been silenced for decades. In many countries, justice is sought through courts and police. In Myanmar, these institutions have historically been instruments of oppression. From the start, we committed to reporting without discrimination—regardless of ethnicity, religion, or citizenship. We believe our work should be accurate, deeply sourced, and strong enough to serve as a historical record. We also believe journalism should be a force for positive change, and that our primary readers should be the people of Myanmar. That belief came at a cost. Members of our team and others associated with Myanmar Now have endured long legal battles, physical assaults, arrests, and torture. Despite these hardships, Myanmar Now continues to report the news—thanks to the resilience of our team, the courage of our sources, and the trust of our readers. Please subscribe to support a free press in Myanmar.