US President Donald Trump is expected to raise the case of American seismologist Youlin Chen with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the two leaders meet, according to Chen’s wife, who said the White House has assured her that his release remains a priority.
Yufang Rong said she received the assurance during a Sept. 22 meeting with officials from the US State Department and National Security Council. She said Trump would ask Xi to free her husband, who has been detained in China since November 2024.
Chen, 54, is a Chinese-born US citizen and seismologist whose work involves detecting shockwaves from underground nuclear tests, including those conducted by North Korea. His research was funded by the US State Department and Air Force Research Laboratory and involved publicly available data and collaboration with Chinese scientists, according to his wife.
Chen was arrested at Beijing International Airport on Nov. 5, 2024, while preparing to return to the United States after visiting family and lecturing at two Chinese universities. The US government has designated him as “wrongfully detained,” while Chinese authorities reject that characterization.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Chen is suspected of engaging in activities that endanger China’s national security and violate Chinese law. He said China is governed by the rule of law and that there is “no such thing as wrongful detention.”
Rong has expressed concern that her husband could face espionage charges and said he has been interrogated more than 100 times. She has also raised concerns about his medical condition, saying he has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. These claims were reported by Reuters based on her account.
Chen is one of two Americans whom Washington has identified as being wrongfully detained in China. The other is scholar Min Zin, who was arrested in June. Rong said she was also told that Trump would raise Zin’s case with Xi.
Trump had previously raised Chen’s case with Xi during his May visit to Beijing, but Rong said that discussion did not lead to her husband’s release. A senior US official said resolving the detention of American citizens remains a top priority for the administration.
The case now places Chen’s detention directly within the broader US-China diplomatic relationship, as Washington and Beijing continue discussions on issues ranging from trade and Taiwan to regional security.
