China Arrests US Scholar for Suspected Spying

A U.S. researcher who studies Myanmar has been arrested in China on suspicion of spying, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

“It is understood that Min Zin has been placed under criminal detention by the ​relevant authorities in accordance with the law on suspicion of engaging in espionage and ​endangering China's national security,” Reuters quoted China‘s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian as saying.

The U.S. consulate in Guangzhou in southern China has been notified, Lin said.

Min Zin, a U.S. citizen who helped found the Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar in 2016, was detained in Kunming, capital of China’s southwestern Yunnan province bordering Myanmar, two weeks ago, according to Reuters.

Min Zin participated in Myanmar’s 1988 democracy movement and later studied political science at the University of California, Berkeley.

It is rare for China to detain U.S. citizens for national security-related crimes. Min Zin’s arrest comes in the weeks after President Donald Trump visited Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in May in search of more stable ties with America’s top rival.

This is a developing story. More to follow.

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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 4:52 AM.