Family urges release of US seismologist held in China since 2024

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Washington: The family of Chinese-born American seismologist Youlin Chen has gone public with a plea for his freedom after he was arrested in China on spying allegations in November 2024. The US State Department has identified Chen, who has been held without a public trial for nearly two years, as ‘wrongfully detained.’

Chen, a Boston-based researcher, is well-known for his US-funded work on utilising seismic data to identify underground nuclear tests, particularly those carried out by North Korea. His family and allies claim his research was based on publicly available information and deny the espionage charges. They are asking the Trump administration to step up diplomatic efforts after President Donald Trump reportedly discussed the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during talks in May, but no breakthrough occurred.

Yufang Rong, his wife, expressed concern over Chen's health and stated that she hasn't spoken to him in over 600 days. China has denied US accusations that Chen is being illegally detained and insisted that the case is being handled in accordance with Chinese law. Ahead of Xi's scheduled visit to the US later this year, the matter is predicted to continue to be a sensitive subject in US-China ties.