American Seismologist Held in China for Nearly Two Years Without Trial - Vision Times
Boston seismologist Youlin Chen, a US citizen, has been detained in China without trial for almost two years on espionage charges tied to his research. His family has now broken their silence, as President Trump's direct appeal to Xi Jinping has so far failed to secure his release
A Chinese-born American seismologist has spent nearly two yearsin Chinese detentionwithout a public trial, with his familynow breaking their silenceto draw attention to his case and urge Beijing to act on the commitment Chinese leader Xi Jinping made to President Trump to look into his release. According to aJuly 24 reportby NextShark, Youlin Chen, 54, of Boston, was detained by Chinese state security agents in November 2024 while visiting his parents in Beijing, according to multiple reportsciting Global Reach, a nonprofit advising his family. Despite being a U. S. citizen since 2011 and building a respected career in seismology,he was chargedwith espionage by Chinese authorities on May 1, 2025, a crime that under Chinese law can carry penalties ranging from life imprisonment to death. RELATED:Pastor Ezra Jin Recounts Secretive Release After 10 Months in Chinese DetentionNuclear research at the center of caseChen’s past research was funded by the U. S. State Department and the Air Force Research Laboratory. One study, published in December 2020 andapproved for public release, analyzed North Korea’s six known nuclear tests using regional seismic data, including publicly available data from Chinese monitoring networks, to distinguish underground nuclear explosions from natural earthquakes. On 5 November 2024, Chinese-born U. S. seismologist Youlin Chen was preparing to fly home to Boston after a monthlong visit to China, where he celebrated his mother’s 80th birthday and gave talks at two universities. For years, Chen, who became a U. S. citizen in 2011, had taken…pic. twitter. com/FMoZQC7jrn— News from Science (@NewsfromScience)July 23, 2026His wife, Yufang Rong, also a seismologist, said Chinese authorities questioned her husband more than 100 times about that research. She wasn’t permitted to have a lawyer see him until 13 months into his detention. “I have not been able to speak with my husband for over 600 days,” Rong said in a statement, adding that she remains concerned for his health and well being. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERFor the best of our weekly content！There is something wrong, please try again laterSuccessYou are now signed up for our newsletterSuccessCheck your email to complete sign upGlobal Reach said Chen has lost roughly 40 pounds in detention, noting that he also suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol–conditions that require ongoing medical management that are difficult to ensure under detention, especially while under duress. Rong said she fears her husband will ultimately be convicted, and that any trial may proceed without public access. Trump raised case With XiOn March 19, Secretary of State Marco Rubiodesignated Chenas “wrongfully detained” by Beiing authorities, making him the only American in China with that status, and thereby placing his case among Washington’s top diplomatic priorities. According to Global Reach,citing State Department officials, President Trump raised Chen’s detention directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their May 2026 meeting in Beijing. Xi reportedly told Trump he would look into the matter. Trump also raised another detention case during that same meeting, after which Chinese church leaderEzra Jinwas released following 10 months in detention. Jinwas first arrestedin October 2025, during a nationwide crackdown on leaders of the popular church. Authorities accused him of “illegally using information networks” after the church continued conducting online worship services outside the Chinese Communist Party-approved network of “legal” religions. Concerns of cross-border repressionWeeks before Chen’s family went public, another American scholar under dubious charges. Min Zin, a U. S. citizen and founder of the Myanmar-focused think tank ISP-Myanmar,was detainedshortly after arriving at Kunming Airport in Yunnan Province on June 3. China’s Foreign Ministry said Min had been placed under detention “on suspicion of engaging in espionage endangering China’s national security. ”Joe Freeman, Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher,called the lack of public evidencein Min’s case “extremely worrying. ” Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass. ) also warned that Chen’s treatment “weakens the relationship and may make other scholars less willing to collaborate with Chinese counterparts. ”Meanwhile,Chen’s family maintainsthat his work reflected the kind of legitimate international scientific exchange that Beijing has publicly said it wants to encourage. “He was simply doing scientific research and international collaboration, [which is] precisely the kind of people-to-people exchange the Chinese government says it wants to promote,” Rong said. With Xi expected tovisit Washington in Septemberfor another summit with U. S. officials, Chen’s family hopes renewed attention ahead of that visit could produce a breakthrough, especially while he remains detained without a fair trail. The U. S. continues to press China to protect his rights, while Beijing maintains the case is being handled lawfully. The case has become another flashpoint in the broader tension between the U. S. and China over research collaboration, personnel exchanges, and national security scrutiny.