China detains US researcher on espionage allegations – What we know
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "China detains US researcher on espionage allegations – What we know")
Representative image. Photograph: (Magnific)
China has detained US researcher Min Zin on espionage allegations, claiming he endangered national security. The case has drawn attention amid ongoing scrutiny of foreign researchers in China.
China on Friday (Jun 12) said that it had detained an American national accused of spying on the country. The individual, identified as Min Zin, is a political analyst and founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M), an independent research organisation focused on developments in Myanmar. Speaking at a press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that the authorities were holding him on “suspicion of engaging in espionage activities that endanger China’s national security.”
Lin Jian said that Min Zin “has been subjected to criminal compulsory measures.” He did not provide any further details about the allegations or evidence supporting them.
Min Zin’s research work focuses on Myanmar’s political landscape, conflict dynamics and regional security issues. The ISP-M regularly publishes research on the country’s civil war, governance challenges and the influence of foreign powers, including China, in Myanmar’s border regions.
AFP reported, citing a person with professional ties to ISP-M, that Min Zin was arrested on Jun 3 after arriving at Kunming airport in China’s Yunnan province, which shares a border with Myanmar. Individuals close to the case said he had travelled to the city to attend a meeting, though it remains unclear whether his visit was connected to research activities. Chinese authorities have informed the US consulate in Guangzhou of the case.
“His family and colleagues are following up with the consulate office there,” AFP cited a source as saying. “I know his family is worried.”
The US State Department or the ISP-M have not yet made any official statement on the matter.
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The ISP-M is located in Chiang Mai, a northern Thai city that has emerged as a refuge for Myanmar political exiles after the 2021 coup ended civilian rule under Aung San Suu Kyi.
According to analysts, including those at the ISP-M, Beijing’s role had been in question. They have alleged that China has at times supported both Myanmar’s military and certain rebel groups, depending on its strategic, economic and security priorities.
