The spouse of U Min Zin, a US-based Myanmar studies researcher held in Chinese custody on espionage and national security charges, has publicly called on President Trump to advocate for his release during an upcoming state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington DC.
Zin was arrested in June after attending an academic conference in Kunming. His wife, Sylvia Zin, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, expressing confidence that Trump’s diplomatic efforts could secure her husband’s freedom. She also referenced another American detainee, seismologist Chen Youlin, who has been imprisoned in China for two years. Both individuals were formally designated as “wrongfully detained” by the US State Department last month, a designation that elevates their cases within the US government and allows for increased resources toward their release.
Sylvia Zin, who currently resides in Thailand, described the emotional toll of the detention, noting she has been unable to communicate directly with her husband and must rely on monthly consular visits for confirmation of his wellbeing. She reported that US officials informed her Min Zin faced intensive daily interrogations, sometimes lasting up to six hours, upon his initial incarceration.
Minister of Congress leadership warned during the hearing that China may use the detention of visiting Americans as leverage in diplomatic negotiations. The timing of Min Zin’s arrest ahead of the Trump-Xi summit was characterized as a deliberate message to researchers whose work challenges Beijing’s interests. Trump’s administration responded to inquiries about the matter, stating that resolving wrongful detentions of US citizens remains a priority for the President. The upcoming meeting follows Trump’s Beijing visit in May and a previous instance in which Trump’s diplomatic pressure contributed to the release of another American prisoner held in China.
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