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Wife Urges Trump To Press Xi As U.S. Scholar Held In China

Sylvia Zin, the wife of detained U.S. scholar Min Zin, urged former President Donald Trump to press Chinese leader Xi Jinping to secure her husband's release from Chinese detention.[1]

The Chinese Ministry of State Security told his wife that he is under investigation for "endangering national security," but no formal charges have been filed and no trial date has been set.[1] U.S. consular staff have been allowed only monthly, 30-minute, closely monitored meetings at a hotel, and Chinese authorities have refused the family's lawyer access to him.[1]

Min Zin, a U.S. citizen and Myanmar scholar, disappeared after arriving in Kunming on June 3, 2026, to attend an academic conference.[1] The State Department's China travel warning highlights arbitrary law enforcement, exit bans, and risks of unjust detention under broad national security and state-secrets laws.[1]

Zin said she hopes Trump will raise the case directly with Xi to win her husband's freedom.[1]

  1. CBS News
U.S. Citizens Detained Abroad U.S.-China Relations
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📌 Key Facts

  • Min Zin, a U.S. citizen and Myanmar scholar, vanished after arriving in Kunming, China, on June 3, 2026, for an academic conference.
  • Chinese Ministry of State Security told his wife he is under investigation for "endangering national security" but has filed no formal charges or set a trial date.
  • He is held in a secret Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location facility, with only monthly, 30-minute, closely monitored U.S. consular meetings at a hotel allowed.
  • His family has hired a lawyer, but Chinese authorities have not allowed the attorney to meet him.
  • The State Department’s China travel warning highlights arbitrary law enforcement, exit bans, and risk of unjust detention under broad national security and state-secrets laws.

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