Reuters: China arrests US scholar on suspicion of spying

China has confirmed the arrest of Min Zin, a U.S. citizen and Myanmar-focused think-tank director, on suspicion of espionage, saying he is being held for allegedly endangering national security, according to Reuters.

"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," Lin Jian, a foreign ministry spokesperson, told a regular news conference.

China said it had informed the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou about the detention.

Min Zin, executive director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP) — Myanmar, was detained after arriving in Kunming in southwest China, according to people familiar with the matter.

"Min Zin was arrested at Kunming airport about two weeks ago," one source said, declining to give further details. The U.S. State Department and ISP-Myanmar have not yet commented.

Min Zin is a former student activist linked to Myanmar’s 1988 pro-democracy movement and studied political science at the University of California, Berkeley. He later co-founded ISP-Myanmar, a think-tank originally based in Myanmar that relocated abroad after the 2021 military coup.

His detention comes at a sensitive moment in U.S.–China relations, as both sides attempt to stabilise ties following President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing last month.

ISP-Myanmar’s research has focused on Myanmar’s political transition, including analysis of the military government led by Min Aung Hlaing and the country’s ongoing civil conflict.

China has publicly supported Myanmar’s post-coup authorities, which came to power after a widely criticised election that excluded major opposition groups.

By Aghakazim Guliyev