US Urges China to Free Seismologist Youlin Chen Held Since 2024 on Espionage Charges
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 15
US Urges China to Free Seismologist Youlin Chen Held Since 2024 on Espionage Charges
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 15
Summary
The State Department on Tuesday called for the immediate release of American seismologist Youlin Chen, whose family says China has held him since Nov. 5, 2024 on espionage charges.
March brought a US designation of Chen as "wrongfully detained," but his family kept it private while Washington pursued his case; they now say Trump's appeal to Xi during a May China visit has produced no visible progress.
Global Reach says Chen's detention may be tied to his work on detecting underground nuclear tests, an area that could expose US monitoring methods as Washington accuses Beijing of violating test bans.
More than 600 days into the detention, Chen's wife says she has had no contact with him and fears for his health, citing diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
The case adds strain to a sensitive US-China dispute over nuclear testing, which China denies, ahead of Xi's expected September visit to Washington.
With a US-China summit looming, will a detained scientist become a bargaining chip for nuclear secrets?
His research was public, yet China calls him a spy. What did this American seismologist really know?
The Detention of Youlin Chen: Humanitarian, Legal, and Geopolitical Implications of China’s State Secrets Crackdown
Overview
Youlin Chen remains in detention in China, with authorities insisting his arrest is handled under domestic law. His wife, Rong Yufang, has publicly refuted the espionage allegations, emphasizing that his work was open and collaborative. A U.S. source has called the detention 'unjustifiable,' and the U.S. administration is actively working for his release. President Donald Trump is expected to raise Chen's case directly with President Xi Jinping during an upcoming meeting in Washington, making this a key diplomatic issue. The case highlights ongoing humanitarian concerns and the complex U.S.-China relationship.