The scientist has been held for nearly two years, according to his family.
China has detained a US seismologist on espionage charges, according to his family and a hostage advocacy group. Chen Youlin, 54, was arrested in Beijing in November 2024 while visiting relatives. His family says they only spoke publicly after seeing no sign that he would be released.
Chen, a naturalised US citizen, specialises in monitoring seismic activity to detect nuclear tests. Much of his published research focused on North Korea’s nuclear programme. His wife, Rong Yufang, said his work was transparent and involved open collaboration with Chinese researchers. She described the espionage allegations as false.
China’s foreign ministry said the case is being handled according to its laws and rejected claims of wrongful detention. His family says he was questioned more than 100 times and denied access to a lawyer for over a year. Advocacy groups also raised concerns about his health because he has diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
The case has renewed concerns over academic exchanges between China and the United States, especially in sensitive scientific fields.
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