China arrests US scholar Min Zin on suspicion of spying
Quick Look
- Chinese authorities have arrested US scholar Min Zin, who writes on Myanmar and Chinese foreign policy, on suspicion of espionage.
- Min Zin, a former student activist who sought asylum in the US, was last seen on June 3 in Kunming, China.
- The arrest is uncommon for US citizens and occurs amid efforts to reset US-China relations.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Min Zin, a US citizen and scholar of Myanmar and Chinese foreign policy, was arrested in China on suspicion of espionage. This occurs as the US and China attempt to stabilize their relationship.
China has arrested a US scholar who writes about Myanmar and Chinese foreign policy on suspicion of spying.
Min Zin was suspected of “engaging in espionage activities that endanger China’s national security,” China’s ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson, Lin Jian, said on Friday.
It is uncommon for Beijing to arrest a US citizen on national security allegations, and the case comes just a month after Donald Trump met the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, in Beijing as the two countries aim to reset their tumultuous relationship.
A Burmese activist said Min Zin disappeared on 3 June after going to Kunming, in China’s Yunnan province, for a conference. The activist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of arrest, said Min Zin had visited China many times before.
Min Zin was a student activist in Myanmar’s 1988 uprising, a student-led movement the then-government reacted to with military force; he later sought asylum in the US. He was not currently involved in any direct activism work, the activist said.
Min Zin founded a thinktank called ISP Myanmar, which in recent years has been writing about Chinese foreign policy and trade with Myanmar, located on China’s south-west border. The thinktank exchanged ideas with Chinese thinktanks, and had published reports on issues such as Myanmar’s rare-earth exports to China.
He is also a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Questions
- What specific evidence does China have?
- What are the implications for US-China relations?
- What will be the US government's response?
