An American seismologist has been detained in China on espionage charges since November 2024, his family revealed this week. Youlin Chen, who researches how to detect underground nuclear tests using seismic data, was taken into custody on 5 November 2024, according to a statement from the nonprofit Global Reach, which is working with his family to secure his freedom.
The organization said Chen’s arrest may be linked to the U.S. government’s accusation that China conducted underground nuclear tests in violation of international test bans. The organization told reporters that his expertise “would give the Chinese government an opportunity to learn as much as possible about US seismic detection methodologies so they can establish countermeasures.”
A Scientist Detained, a Family Pushed Into the Shadows
He was formally declared “wrongfully detained” by the U.S. government in March, but his family initially chose not to make that designation public. They hoped it would help State Department efforts to secure his release, the group said.
The delay bought time for quiet diplomacy. According to the NGO, Trump urged Xi to free the seismologist during the U.S. president’s state visit to China in May. The Chinese president reportedly agreed to work on the issue.
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“We are now at the midpoint between the May commitment made by President Xi and his upcoming September visit to Washington DC, and the Chinese have made no apparent movement on releasing Dr Chen,” said Eric Lebson, the organization’s chief strategy officer.
The Research at the Center of the Case
Chen’s work focuses on using data from seismic stations across Asia, including in China, to improve methods for monitoring nuclear tests and estimating their yields. The U.S. military and the State Department have funded some of his research, the nonprofit noted.
Beijing denies it has conducted explosive nuclear tests, saying Washington is seeking a pretext to resume its own testing. The tension between scientific openness and national security is not new, but cases like his show how quickly collaboration can turn into confrontation when the political climate shifts. The Trump administration’s public appeal to Xi, however, has made this case unusually visible.
Chen’s wife, Yufang Rong, said she has not been able to speak to her husband for more than 600 days. “Youlin has never held a US government security clearance and to suggest he was involved in espionage is both wrong and inconsistent with the public and collaborative nature of the work that he has done,” she said in a statement.
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Health Concerns Add Urgency
According to a profile by the James Foley Foundation, which advocates for wrongfully detained Americans abroad, Chen has diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Rong said she is “concerned for his health and wellbeing.”
The State Department on Tuesday publicly urged Beijing to release the seismologist. “The United States has raised Mr Chen’s case directly with Chinese officials, calling for his immediate release,” a department spokesperson told reporters by email, reiterating the call for him to be freed.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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