China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on June 14 that it is detaining a U.S. citizen on charges of "espionage" and "threatening national security." The individual has been identified as Min Zin, a political analyst at the Myanmar Institute for Strategic and Policy Studies (ISP-M), a policy think tank specializing in Myanmar.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that Min Zin "has been subjected to criminal coercive measures." He also noted that China had informed the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou about the arrest.
According to The New York Times, Min Zin disappeared in Kunming, Yunnan Province, near the Myanmar border, on June 3. The researcher had participated in protests against the military regime as a youth and was a doctoral candidate at the Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley.
ISP-M, which Min Zin co-founded, studies political dynamics, resources, and conflicts in Myanmar — a country mired in civil war since the 2021 coup. The group currently operates from multiple locations, including Myanmar, the United States, and Thailand. Min Zin has also written numerous analytical pieces criticizing both the military government and opposition groups in Myanmar.
China's embassy in Washington stated: "China is a country governed by the rule of law. All foreigners living and traveling in China must comply with Chinese law, and those who violate the law and commit crimes will face legal consequences."
The U.S. State Department confirmed it is aware of the arrest and is working to provide "appropriate consular assistance," without giving details. Currently, some 200-300 U.S. citizens are detained in China on charges ranging from drugs to finance. Washington considers some of them to be "wrongfully detained." In 2024, the two countries exchanged three citizens each in a prisoner swap.
The arrest coincides with the day China's Foreign Ministry announced that Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing would visit China from June 15-19. The event also follows a state visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to China in mid-May, as Washington seeks to de-escalate trade tensions. Trump previously said he expects to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington at the end of September.
