China has detained American seismologist Chen Youlin on espionage charges, a claim echoed by his family and the Global Reach advocacy group.
Chen, 54, was held in Beijing after a November 2024 visit to see relatives—a trip that ended in his arrest, according to his wife Rong Yufang.
Yufang, also a seismologist, insists the accusations are unfounded, noting that their joint research has always been conducted openly and that the work itself was public.
The crux of Chen’s career lies in monitoring North Korea’s underground tests—a nation that China often supports while facing international sanctions over its nuclear program.
While the US intelligence community suspects that China’s own clandestine nuclear tests may have triggered the arrest, Beijing maintains that the detention follows domestic law.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said there was no such thing as wrongful detention, and that espionage cases can carry life‑imprisonment or death penalties under Chinese law.
Chen is the sole US citizen designated as “wrongfully detained” by the US State Department.
Afflicted by diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, Chen has reportedly been denied adequate medical care since his detention, a concern voiced by the Foley Foundation and US Senator Edward Markey.
Markey warned the situation could deter other scholars from collaborating with Chinese counterparts, calling for increased pressure for Chen’s release.
Chen’s detention follows the arrest last month of American scholar Min Zin in Beijing, further inflaming US‑China relations.
