Trump to Directly Seek Release of Detained US Seismologist During Xi Summit: Report
Trump to personally ask Xi for release of detained US seismologist tracking North Korea's nuclear tests, as diplomatic tensions rise.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump is expected to directly request the release of a detained American seismologist during his upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to reports.
The White House has confirmed that Trump will push for the freedom of Youlin Chen, a U.S. citizen and expert on North Korean nuclear testing, during their summit this week. Chen’s wife, Yufang Rong, shared concerns that Beijing plans to prosecute her husband under false espionage charges, despite his research being based on open-source data and published openly.
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Chen, a naturalized U.S. citizen who works for a government contractor, was arrested at Beijing International Airport in November 2024 while preparing to return home after academic visits. Washington has labeled him as “wrongfully detained,” alongside another American scholar, Min Zin, and made their releases a key diplomatic priority. Chinese officials have denied the allegations, stating that the individual is under investigation for violating national security laws.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
