China denies US citizen held since June is wrongfully detained
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Min Zin is the second US citizen considered by Washington to be “wrongfully detained” in China.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- China denies wrongful detention of US citizen Min Zin, claiming he violated Chinese law by endangering national security.
- Min Zin, a Myanmar political analyst, was detained in Yunnan province near the Myanmar border on June 3.
- The US State Department labelled Min Zin as "wrongfully detained," increasing diplomatic tensions before Xi Jinping's visit to Washington.
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BEIJING - China refuted on Aug 21 a claim from Washington that it has improperly held a US citizen since early June, saying the American was suspected of violating Chinese law.
“China is a country governed by the rule of law, and there is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention,” said foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian in response to a question about the US State Department designating Min Zin as “wrongfully detained” on Aug 20.
“It is understood that the relevant US individual in question is suspected of engaging in activities that endanger China’s national security, thereby violating Chinese law,” said Lin.
“The Chinese judicial authorities are handling the case in accordance with the law,” he added.
Min Zin is a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M), which researches the political, resource and conflict dynamics of Myanmar, plunged into civil war by a 2021 coup.
The political analyst was taken into custody on June 3 in the south-western Chinese province of Yunnan, which borders Myanmar, the US government said.
Some of the ISP-M’s publications detail China’s influence in the borderlands of Myanmar, where Beijing is accused of supporting armed factions which suit its national interests.
The State Department’s designation raises the diplomatic stakes around the detention, coming a month before Chinese leader Xi Jinping visits President Donald Trump in Washington.
It makes Min Zin the second US citizen considered by Washington to be “wrongfully detained” in China, alongside seismologist Youlin Chen, who has been detained on espionage charges since 2024. AFP
