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China rejects report that a U.S. scientist is being wrongfully detained

China rejected on Tuesday an accusation that it has wrongfully detained a U.S. citizen following a report by the Reuters news agency that an American seismologist has been held in the country for nearly two years and is facing trial on spying charges.

According to Reuters, Youlin Chen, 54, who was born in China, had carried out U.S.-funded work on detecting North Korean nuclear tests before he was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on Nov. 5, 2024, as he prepared to board a flight home to Boston.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Chen “wrongfully detained” in March and made his release a top U.S. priority, according to Reuters, but his wife Yufang Rong told the news agency the Trump administration had withheld word of her husband’s case in the hope that high-level diplomacy might secure his release. 

Handout image of Dr. Youlin Chen, an American seismologist held for nearly two years by China
Dr. Yufang Rong and her husband Dr. Youlin Chen, an American seismologist held for nearly two years by China, pose together at Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada in this undated photograph provided on July 13, 2026.

Courtesy Dr. Yufang Rong/Handout/REUTERS

“China is a country governed by rule of law, and the relevant department handles the case in accordance with the rule of law,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday during a regular media briefing when asked about the case. “There is no instance of wrongful detention.”

Rong said the White House and State Department had told her that President Trump raised her husband’s detention with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a state visit in Beijing in May, but that he remained in prison.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday that the U.S. government had raised Chen’s case with Chinese officials, without specifying the level at which the conversations had taken place. The spokesperson reiterated the State Department’s call for Chen’s release.  

His detention came to light following the arrest last month of another U.S. citizen by Chinese authorities. Min Zin, a U.S. scholar and director of a think tank focused on Myanmar, was in China for a meeting when he was detained at an airport in the city of Kunming. He has been accused of spying and endangering Chinese national security.   

The Foley Foundation, a hostage advocacy group that works with the U.S. government, says there are at least 12 American citizens being wrongfully detained in China.

Chen’s wife Rong told Reuters that she fears China will convict him of espionage, a crime that carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment or even the death penalty. 

“I believe they will convict him no matter what and the trial will be behind closed doors,” she told the news agency.

She claims her husband has been interrogated more than 100 times and that he wasn’t allowed to see a lawyer for 13 months. U.S. embassy officials have visited Chen several times, Reuters said, but always with Chinese officials present.

At the beginning of his detention, Rong claims he was subjected to “harsh conditions” and was unable to obtain medication for his diabetes and other health problems. He’s lost 30 to 40 pounds, is given insufficient food and receives only poor-quality medications, she alleges.

President Trump is expected to raise both Chen and Zin’s cases with Xi when the Chinese leader visits Washington in September. 

Ex-Cambridge professor dies week after resigning amid plagiarism allegations

▶ Watch Video: Jason Arday, former Cambridge professor who faced plagiarism scandal, found dead Jason Arday, who was Cambridge's youngest Black professor, died in London on Friday, a week after he resigned from the university amid plagiarism allegations, his family said. He was 41 years old. "Jason was subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse for the more than three years since he accepted the role of Professor at Cambridge University by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him," his family said in a statement. "The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone. We are in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son." London's Metropolitan Police did not identify Arday, but said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a 41-year-old man found unresponsive inside a property at 3:12 p.m. local time Friday. Police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene and his next of kin have been notified.  His death is "unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious," police said. The case is under investigation. U.K. Education Secretary Lucy Powell said in a social media post that she was "deeply shocked & saddened" to hear about Arday's death."My heartfelt condolences are with his friends and family at this very sad time," Powell said in the post. "I urge people to give them privacy through this incredibly difficult period & to remember there are real people with loved ones involved."Arday resigned from Cambridge Aug. 5 following allegations of plagiarism and fabrications in his biography, saying in a statement, "The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love." He said his resignation should not "be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me.""We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news. Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time," Vice-Chancellor Professor at Cambridge Deborah Prentice said in a statement. Arday joined the University of Cambridge in 2023 at age 37, becoming one of Britain's most high-profile academics after sharing an extraordinary account of his life. He said he was autistic and dyslexic, did not speak until age 11 and was unable to read or write until he was 18.Born and raised in south London, he went to college to earn a degree in education and physical education, and then went on to earn two master's degrees before qualifying as a teacher. He then earned his PhD at Liverpool John Moores University. "Not many teachers at school had any belief in me," he told CBS News in 2023. "Educational psychologists and behavioral therapists were … very robust in their assessment that I would struggle in later life and I would need assisted living."Allegations of plagiarism were raised last month by Nathan Cofnas, a philosopher of biology and former Cambridge researcher who has publicly criticized diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Cofnas previously wrote that in a meritocracy, "Blacks would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment."Arday previously denied any intentional wrongdoing, saying errors in his academic work were inadvertent and arguing that much of the criticism against him was an ideologically and racially motivated campaign against him.Supporters of Arday also argued the scrutiny went far beyond legitimate academic criticism and said he became the target of an ideological campaign because of his work on race, inequality and diversity.Liverpool John Moores University previously investigated allegations relating to his doctoral thesis and said it found no evidence of academic misconduct, according to The Times of London. Articles by The Times of London and The Telegraph reported last month on possible embellishments in Arday's personal history, including claims that he raised millions for charity through endurance challenges, which he later amended. The Telegraph questioned his claim to have published a book, "Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse," saying it could not find evidence it was ever published.Criticism mounted ahead of this week's release of Arday's memoir, "Great and Unfortunate Things," which chronicles his life from childhood through his appointment at Cambridge.In his resignation statement, Arday did not address the specific allegations against him, but said his resignation should not "be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me.""It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure," he said. 
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