An American seismologist who did contract research for the U.S. government related to nuclear tests in North Korea has been detained in China for nearly two years and accused of spying, his family and supporters said.
Youlin Chen, who was born in China, was detained by Chinese state security officers at a Beijing airport in November 2024, when he was about to return to home in Boston.
Dr. Chen’s family and supporters said they were making his case public for the first time this week in the hope that the attention would add pressure on China to release him while Beijing and Washington try to maintain a fragile truce in a trade war. They say the Chinese authorities have accused him of spying, possibly in relation to his research for the U.S. government, and that the accusation is unfounded.
Dr. Chen’s detention highlights the risks posed to scientists and others involved in work potentially seen as sensitive by Beijing, whether they are visiting China for business, research or to see their families. People born in China are especially vulnerable. Under the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the state security apparatus has magnified efforts to pursue targets suspected of espionage or subversion. Last month, the Chinese authorities seized an American scholar who studies politics in Myanmar, accusing him of spying.
Dr. Chen’s wife, Yufang Rong, said that President Donald Trump raised his case when he met Mr. Xi in May in Beijing. She hoped Mr. Trump would raise it again when the two leaders hold a summit in Washington in September.
“I am hopeful that President Xi will tell his people that they made a mistake in arresting a U.S. academic and he needs to be allowed to return to the U.S.,” Ms. Rong said in written replies to questions, referring to Dr. Chen’s detention.
