US designates academic Min Zin as wrongfully detained in China

On Thursday, the US State Department announced that American political analyst Min Zin, detained by Chinese authorities, was being held wrongfully. This determination shifted the case from a consular issue to one handled by the presidential office dealing with hostage affairs. The decision was made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio after a thorough investigation into Zin's June 3 detention in Yunnan, China, where he had attended an academic conference as invited by the Chinese government.

This marks the second wrongful detention designation involving China, following the case of seismologist Youlin Chen, who was arrested in November 2024 at Beijing International Airport. The US prioritizes the safety and security of its citizens and will continue advocating for Min Zin's release, calling for the release of all US citizens arbitrarily detained in China.

China maintains that its judicial authorities handle cases according to the law, denying any instances of wrongful detention. In June, Zin was detained on suspicion of espionage and endangering national security, but the Chinese government did not elaborate on the specifics. Trump administration officials, however, have consistently emphasized the importance of bringing home Americans, involving themselves personally in the efforts.

Min Zin, also known as U Min Zin, is an American citizen of Chinese descent who fled Myanmar in 1988 following the pro-democracy uprising. He holds a master's degree in Asian studies from UC Berkeley and is pursuing a doctoral degree in political science from the same institution. He is currently the director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar, which has written extensively about Myanmar's post-coup politics and Beijing's influence.

The State Department will continue to prioritize Zin's release and will likely raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the upcoming summit in Washington.