RismadarVoice Reporters, August 20, 2026
The United States has formally designated Myanmar scholar and US citizen Min Zin as being wrongfully detained by China, making efforts to secure his release a priority for Washington.
A senior US State Department official disclosed the decision on Thursday, saying Min Zin had been held by Chinese authorities since June 3 on allegations linked to national security.
The designation comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the White House on September 24, adding the case to a potentially sensitive list of issues in US-China relations.
The State Department official said Min Zin had spent nearly 11 weeks in detention, during which he was subjected to repeated questioning, isolation and difficult detention conditions.
The official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the designation after a review of the case.
Washington also called on Beijing to release other Americans it considers to have been wrongfully detained in China.
Among them is Youlin Chen, a Chinese-born American seismologist from Boston who is also being held on charges the US considers unfounded.
The State Department official said President Donald Trump considers the safety and security of American citizens abroad a major priority and expects China to treat US citizens appropriately.
Chinese authorities confirmed Min Zin’s arrest in June, saying he was suspected of spying and endangering China’s national security. Chinese officials have maintained that cases involving foreign nationals are handled in accordance with the law.
Min Zin had previously lived in Thailand and spent periods in the United States and Myanmar. He held a valid Chinese visa and had previously travelled to China to attend academic conferences.
According to the US official, Min Zin travelled to Yunnan on June 3 after receiving an invitation from the Chinese government to attend an academic conference in Kunming. He was reportedly detained at the airport shortly after arriving.
His family and colleagues lost contact with him immediately after his arrival and were reportedly unaware of his whereabouts for about 48 hours before Chinese authorities informed the US Embassy that he was under investigation.
Yunnan authorities later said he was being investigated for allegedly endangering China’s national security.
Human rights organisations have accused China of using detention and exit restrictions against foreigners as leverage in diplomatic disputes, a practice often described as “hostage diplomacy.”
Advocates for Min Zin, including former US officials, have urged the Trump administration to raise his case directly with Chinese authorities.
Min Zin is a former student activist who participated in Myanmar’s 1988 pro-democracy movement. He later studied political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and helped establish the Institute for Strategy and Policy.
The institute was initially based in Myanmar but relocated abroad following the 2021 military coup that removed the country’s elected government.
China has maintained close ties with Myanmar’s current authorities, who assumed power following a controversial election that excluded major opposition groups, including the political party associated with former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
