China detains US scientist who studied North Korea nuclear tests
Chen Youlin, a US seismologist specializing in nuclear test tracking, has been detained in China for nearly two years on espionage charges. His family and advocacy groups maintain his work was collaborative and scientific, while Chinese officials insist the detention is legal.
Why it matters
The case highlights escalating geopolitical tensions between the US and China, particularly regarding scientific cooperation and the risks faced by dual-citizen researchers.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Chen Youlin (right) specialises in using seismological data to track nuclear tests
China has detained a US seismologist who tracks nuclear tests for nearly two years on espionage charges, his family says.
Chen Youlin, 54, was arrested in November 2024 during a trip to Beijing to visit family, according to hostage advocacy group Global Reach. The family decided to speak out after they saw no sign of Beijing freeing Chen.
His wife Rong Yufang, also a seismologist, said Chen worked closely with Chinese colleagues, and the allegations are "both wrong and inconsistent with the public and collaborative nature of the work that he has done".
His published work centres on North Korea, a close friend of China and long sanctioned for its nuclear weapons programme and underground tests.
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