China denies wrongful detention as U.S. scientist faces closed-door trial

China’s foreign ministry said there was no “wrongful detention” in the case of Youlin Chen, but it did not deny that the Chinese-born American seismologist remains imprisoned as he faces a closed-door trial. Chen, 54, has been detained in China for nearly two years, a case that has become a test of consular access, diplomatic leverage and how much Beijing will reveal about a security prosecution behind closed doors.

Chinese state security officers arrested Chen at Beijing Capital Airport on November 5, 2024, as he was preparing to return to Boston after visiting family and lecturing at two universities. Chinese authorities formally charged him with espionage on May 1, 2025, yet he has still not been brought to trial. Lin Jian, the foreign ministry spokesperson, said Chinese judicial organs are handling the case according to law, but gave no further public clarification about the evidence, the timing of any hearing or why the proceedings are being kept out of view.

The U.S. State Department designated Chen as wrongfully detained on March 19, 2026, placing his case in a category Washington uses for foreign detentions tied to political leverage or demands for concessions. That designation made his release a top U.S. priority. The department has said 76 Americans have been brought home since January 20, 2025, as the administration pushed an aggressive hostage-recovery effort that has included both public and quiet diplomacy.

Chen’s wife, Yufang Rong, said the White House and State Department told her that President Donald Trump raised her husband’s detention with Xi Jinping during a May 2026 state visit to Beijing. She said Xi promised to look into it, but no action has followed. The Trump administration has held back a public announcement in hopes of preserving room for high-level talks that could still secure Chen’s release.

The James W. Foley Foundation says Chen is among at least 12 Americans it counts as unjustly held in China, including people under exit bans. Chen’s work on detecting North Korean nuclear tests, research that helped U.S. efforts to monitor Pyongyang’s underground detonations, has put his detention at the intersection of science, arms control and the wider chill in U.S.-China relations.