Yufang Rong with her husband Yulin Chen, an American seismologist facing espionage charges
WASHINGTON: A Chinese-American seismologist who published US-funded work on uncovering North Korea’s nuclear tests has been detained in China for nearly two years and faces trial on espionage charges, according to his wife, US lawmakers and two hostage advocacy groups.Yulin Chen’s case adds an irritant to the tense relationship between the nuclear-armed rivals, and comes as President Trump seeks to stabilize relations following last year’s tariff hiccups.Secretary of State Marco Rubio on March 19 described Chen, 54, as “unlawfully detained,” making his release a top priority for the United States. The Trump administration has withheld a public announcement to make room for high-level diplomacy aimed at securing his freedom, according to his wife, Yufang Rong.An American source familiar with Chen’s case said that the administration is “focused on releasing him from his unjustified detention.” The source spoke on condition of anonymity. Chen, who became a US citizen in 2011 and lives in Boston, Massachusetts, is the only American currently detained in China who is classified as being held unlawfully, according to his wife and hostage advocates.Rong said the White House and State Department informed her that during a state visit to Beijing in May, Trump raised the issue of her husband’s detention with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who promised to look into the matter.
She added that Beijing has not taken any action.In an interview, Rong expressed concern that Beijing had decided, even before Chen was put on trial, to convict him of espionage, a crime that in China can be punished by up to life in prison or even the death penalty in cases considered particularly serious.“I think they will convict him no matter what and the trial will be behind closed doors,” said Rong, who is also a seismologist but does not cooperate with her husband’s work.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday that Chinese judicial organs handle the cases in accordance with the law and “there is no such thing as illegal detention.”The Foley Foundation, a hostage advocacy organization tracking Chen’s case, believes Chen is among at least 12 Americans wrongfully detained in China, said Elizabeth Richards, the group’s director of hostage advocacy.Rong said US embassy officials visited Chen several times, but Chinese officials were always present, preventing him from speaking freely.Eric Laibson, a former US national security official whose hostage advocacy organization Global Reach is advising the family, said he believes China wants to use Chen’s experience to improve its ability to hide underground nuclear weapons tests through a technique called “separation.”Chen works for a US government contractor, has never obtained a US security clearance and has never done any undercover work, Lipson said.
Lipson said his research on the seismic waves of the test explosion in North Korea was funded by the State Department and the Air Force Research Laboratory. He added that this was done in cooperation with Chinese academics, and used Chinese data that is publicly available and can be viewed on the Internet.Chen was arrested by Chinese state security officers on November 5, 2024, at Beijing International Airport as he prepared to return home to Boston after visiting his family and giving a lecture about his work at two universities, according to Rong and Lipson. He was charged with espionage on May 1, 2025, but has not yet been tried.(Reuters)
