US designates academic Min Zin as wrongfully detained in China

The US State Department announced on Thursday that American political analyst, Min Zin, who was detained by Chinese authorities last month, is being held wrongly. This designation moves the case from a State Department consular issue to one under its presidential office, which handles hostage affairs. This decision by Secretary of State Marco Rubio adds strain to the delicate relationship between the US and China, just weeks before a scheduled summit in Washington.

The agency noted that this is the second wrongful detention claim involving China, following the case of seismologist Youlin Chen, who was arrested at Beijing International Airport in November 2024. The State Department emphasized that the safety and security of US citizens is their top priority and vowed to continue advocating for Min Zin's release and calling for the freedom of all US citizens arbitrarily detained or barred from entering China by Beijing.

China maintains that its judicial authorities handle cases in accordance with the law, and there is no concept of wrongful detention. However, Beijing has consistently stated that any imprisonment and travel restrictions imposed on Americans are lawful and in line with Chinese law. Min Zin, also known as U Min Zin, is an American citizen of Chinese descent.

He is a political analyst who was detained in Yunnan, China, on June 3, 2025, after attending an academic conference at the invitation of the Chinese government. The State Department determined that this detention was unjustified and initiated the designation.