Beijing: China announced on Friday the arrest of a US citizen on allegations of espionage. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that Min Zin is under suspicion of spying activities that threaten China's national security. He has been placed under criminal measures, and the US consulate general in Guangzhou has been informed.

According to Anadolu Agency, the arrest of Min Zin was confirmed following his disappearance on June 3 in Kunming, Yunnan province, which shares a border with Myanmar. Lin assured reporters that Min Zin's lawful rights are fully protected. The New York Times, which initially reported on the arrest, described Min Zin as a UC Berkeley graduate student and founder of a Myanmar-based research organization.

The New York Times further detailed that Min Zin serves as a political scientist and executive director of a policy research group originally operating out of Yangon, Myanmar's former capital. Following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the group has been functioning from various locations. Min Zin has resided in both the United States and Myanmar and currently lives in Thailand, having written extensively on Myanmar's political landscape.

The US State Department acknowledged awareness of reports regarding a US citizen detained in China. The report from The New York Times also recalled the case of US citizen Kai Li, who was convicted of espionage in China in 2016 but released in 2024 during a prisoner exchange. Another American, Sandy Phan-Gillis, was expelled from China in 2017 after a prolonged detention period of more than two years.

Furthermore, the report highlighted that approximately 200 American citizens are either detained or facing exit bans in China, involving cases from drug-related charges to commercial or financial disputes.