U.S. Scholar’s Wife Seeks Trump’s Help as Xi Visits Washington

As Xi Jinping visits Washington, a U.S. scholar's wife urges Trump to secure her husband's release from Chinese detention.

Editorial Desk

September 17, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Washington, United States — As Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares for a high-profile visit to the U.S., the wife of a detained American scholar has directly appealed to President Donald Trump for assistance in securing her husband’s release.

Sylvia Zin, the spouse of Min Zin, a University of California-Berkeley academic and executive director of the think tank ISP-Myanmar, addressed a congressional hearing on Wednesday, expressing confidence that Trump would act to free her husband and other wrongly detained Americans. She highlighted the president’s past efforts in bringing home U.S. citizens held abroad.

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Zin was arrested in June during an academic trip to China on charges of endangering national security, according to his wife. He is one of two U.S. citizens currently designated by the State Department as wrongfully detained in China, alongside Youlin Chen, a seismologist who has been imprisoned for nearly two years. Families of those detained are now lobbying in Washington, hoping that increased diplomatic attention could lead to their release.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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