Dr. Youlin Chen, an American seismologist of Chinese descent who has published U.S. government-funded research on detecting North Korea's nuclear tests, has been detained by Chinese authorities for nearly two years and now faces espionage charges.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that 54-year-old Dr. Chen has been designated as "wrongfully detained," making efforts to secure his freedom a top priority for the U.S.
Mrs. Yu Fang Rong, Dr. Chen’s wife, revealed that the Trump administration delayed publicizing his detention to allow for high-level secret diplomatic negotiations. During Trump's visit to Beijing in May, he raised the issue directly with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who promised to investigate, but so far the Chinese government has taken no action.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded by stating that China's judicial authorities operate strictly according to law and that "there is no such thing as wrongful detention."
Mrs. Rong disclosed that her husband has been interrogated more than 100 times by Chinese officials, focusing on his research into "detecting seismic signals from North Korean nuclear weapons tests." She expressed deep concern that Chinese authorities may have already decided to prosecute him for espionage, a charge that carries penalties up to life imprisonment or even the death penalty in severe cases in China.
Eric Lebson, a former U.S. national security official and family advisor from the hostage support group Global Reach, stated it is highly likely that Chinese authorities seek Dr. Chen’s expertise to enhance China's capability to conceal underground nuclear tests using a technique called "Decoupling," which involves detonating in large underground cavities to reduce shock waves. This aligns with previous U.S. accusations that China attempted to mask small nuclear tests in 2020.
Lebson emphasized that Dr. Chen was merely an employee of a U.S. government contractor without access to high-level classified information. His research was openly funded by the U.S. State Department and Air Force research labs, conducted in cooperation with Chinese academics, and relied on publicly available internet data.
However, human rights groups note that under China’s National Security Law, authorities have broad powers to retroactively classify public information as "national security secrets," making possession or sharing of such data a crime.
Dr. Chen, who became a U.S. citizen in 2011 and resides in Boston, Massachusetts, was arrested by Chinese security officials on 5 November 2024 at Beijing International Airport while preparing to return to the U.S. after visiting family and giving special lectures at two Chinese universities.
At the start of his detention, Dr. Chen endured harsh conditions, being forced to sit on a hard bench all day without standing, reading, or exercising, and was denied medication for his diabetes. He has since lost between 13.6 and 18.1 kilograms due to insufficient nutrition and inadequate food.
Dr. Chen was formally charged with espionage on 1 May 2025, but no court date has been set. It is expected this secret trial will resurface as a topic during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington, D.C. in September.
/sourceReuters