China arrests US academic at conference for ‘espionage activities’
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- China has arrested Min Zin, a US scholar focused on Myanmar and Chinese foreign policy, on suspicion of espionage activities threatening China's national security.
- The arrest is notable as it is rare for Beijing to detain a US citizen on national security grounds, occurring shortly after a high-profile meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
- Min Zin disappeared on June 3 after attending a conference in Kunming, Yunnan province; he has previously visited China multiple times without incident.
- A former student activist from Myanmar’s 1988 uprising, Min Zin later sought asylum in the US and currently leads ISP Myanmar, a thinktank analyzing Chinese foreign policy and trade with Myanmar.
- He is also pursuing a PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, and ISP Myanmar has collaborated with Chinese thinktanks on topics including Myanmar’s rare-earth exports to China.