China denies US citizen held since June is wrongfully detained

China has refuted claims from Washington that it is "wrongfully detaining" a US citizen, asserting that the individual is suspected of violating Chinese law. The US State Department had designated Min Zin as "wrongfully detained" on August 20.

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China is a country governed by the rule of law, and there is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention.

Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated on August 21 that "China is a country governed by the rule of law, and there is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention." He added that Chinese judicial authorities are handling the case in accordance with legal procedures.

Min Zin, a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M), which researches political and conflict dynamics in Myanmar, was taken into custody on June 3 in China's Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar. The US government reported his detention.

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The relevant US individual in question is suspected of engaging in activities that endanger China’s national security, thereby violating Chinese law.

Some ISP-M publications examine China's influence in Myanmar's border regions, where Beijing is accused of backing armed factions aligned with its national interests. The State Department's designation escalates the diplomatic tension surrounding Min Zin's detention, occurring just a month before Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit US President Donald Trump in Washington. Min Zin is the second US citizen designated as "wrongfully detained" by Washington in China, alongside seismologist Youlin Chen, who has been held on espionage charges since 2024.

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The Chinese judicial authorities are handling the case in accordance with the law.