China detains US researcher suspected of spying

China's Foreign Ministry on Friday confirmed the detention of an American citizen accused of espionage, identifying the man as a political analyst at a policy think tank focusing on neighboring Myanmar.

Min Zin, a holder of dual US and Myanmar citizenship, is a co-founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M). Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news briefing that Min Zin "has been subjected to criminal compulsory measures." China has notified the US consulate general in Guangzhou.

According to a report by The New York Times, the scholar disappeared in Kunming, Yunnan province, near the Myanmar border, on June 3. His research group, ISP-M, is based in Yangon, Myanmar's former capital. Since a military coup in 2021 led to civil war, the group has operated from various locations, with Min Zin spending time in Myanmar, the US, and Thailand, where he lives.

Min Zin is also a PhD candidate in the Travers Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He has previously written opinion pieces critical of both Myanmar's military government and its opposition groups.

The US Department of State confirmed it is aware of the arrest and is working to provide appropriate consular assistance. The Chinese embassy in Washington stated that "all foreigners living and travelling in China must observe Chinese laws."

Between 200 and 300 US citizens are detained in China on various charges. Washington maintains that some are "wrongfully detained." In 2024, a prisoner exchange saw both sides release three nationals each.

The arrest comes as China's Foreign Ministry announced that Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing will visit China from June 15 to 19. It also follows US President Donald Trump's state visit to China in mid-May. Trump has said he plans to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington in late September.