Sylvia Zin, the wife of imprisoned US scholar U Min Zin, has formally requested that President Donald Trump advocate for her husband's release during his scheduled summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington next week. U Min Zin, who leads a Myanmar-focused think tank, was taken into custody in Kunming on June 3 while attending an academic conference. He has since been accused of espionage and endangering national security.
During a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Sylvia Zin expressed optimism that the President could secure her husband's freedom, citing his past efforts in returning wrongfully detained Americans. She also advocated for the release of Chen Youlin, a US seismologist specializing in nuclear test monitoring who has been held in China for two years. Both men have been officially designated as "wrongfully detained" by the US State Department, a status that elevates their cases to the office of the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
Testifying before the subcommittee, Sylvia Zin described the difficulty of her situation, noting that she has had no direct contact with her husband since his arrest. She reported that US officials informed her that her husband faced daily interrogations lasting up to six hours during the initial period of his detention.
The hearing, titled "Lives, Not Leverage: The Long Arm of China and North Korea's Repression," also featured the son of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, who similarly urged the administration to prioritize his father's release. Congresswoman Young Kim, chairwoman of the subcommittee, cautioned that Beijing may be using detainees as diplomatic leverage, particularly ahead of high-level summits.
A senior White House official stated that the resolution of wrongful detentions involving US citizens remains a "top priority" for the President. President Trump has previously intervened in such cases, including the successful release of church leader Jin Mingri following a direct request to the Chinese leadership.
Source: BBC News
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