Yufang Rong, wife of detained U.S. seismologist Youlin Chen, reported on September 22 that President Trump would ask Chinese leader Xi Jinping to release her husband when they meet in September. Chen has been imprisoned since November 5, 2024, and is one of two Americans designated as "wrongfully detained" by the U.S., along with scholar Min Zin. Rong was assured during a meeting at the White House that Trump would address both cases with Xi. Chen's work focuses on detecting North Korean nuclear tests, funded openly by U.S. agencies; he became a U.S. citizen in 2011 and holds a contract with a U.S. government contractor.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-23,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States in September 2024, Yufang Rong and Sylvia Zin, wives of wrongfully detained Americans Youlin Chen and Min Zin respectively, have intensified efforts for their husbands' release. Chen, a seismologist with expertise in North Korean nuclear tests, was detained by Chinese authorities outside Beijing’s airport in November 2024. His wife Rong has not spoken to him or seen him for over 670 days, causing significant emotional and familial strain.
Zin's husband Min Zin, arrested in June 2024, is a scholar focusing on Myanmar. The U.S. State Department designates these men as the only two American citizens wrongfully detained in China. Their families are hopeful that President Donald Trump will bring up their cases during his summit with Xi. Rong and Zin met with senior U.S. officials to advocate for their husbands' release, with the White House assuring them that Trump would address this issue directly with Xi.
Despite these efforts, it remains unclear if broader human rights issues, such as those concerning Tibet and the Uyghur Muslim minority, will be discussed during the summit, given Trump's general reluctance to raise such matters publicly.
Written for “US Citizens Detained In China” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Wife of US seismologist held in China says Trump will ask Xi to free him
asserted
Trump → hold → him
The wife of a US expert on North Korean nuclear tests who has been imprisoned in China since late 2024 said on Sept 22 the White House has assured her that US President Donald Trump will ask Chinese leader Xi Jinping to free her husband when the pair meet in September.
asserted
pair → imprison → September
Yufang Rong said she feared that Beijing planned to try her Chinese-born husband, Youlin Chen, on fabricated espionage charges even though his US-funded research was openly published, used publicly available data and was done in collaboration with Chinese scientists.
asserted
research → say → scientists
Trump will welcome Xi on Sept 23 for their second meeting since May as the leaders of the world’s leading powers seek stability amid tensions ranging from trade to Iran and Taiwan.
uncertain
leaders → welcome → Iran
Rong said she was assured during a Sept 22 meeting at the White House with officials from the State Department and National Security Council that Trump would ask Xi to free her husband.
asserted
Trump → say → husband
Chen, 54, is one of two Americans held by Beijing that the US has designated as “wrongfully detained”, making their release a top priority.
asserted
release → hold → that
The other is Min Zin, a scholar arrested in June.
asserted
other → arrest → June
Rong said she was told that Trump also would press Xi to release Zin.
asserted
Trump → say → Zin
Trump raised Chen’s case with Xi during a visit to Beijing in May, but it produced no action, Rong said.
uncertain
Rong → raise → action
“Resolving the wrongful detentions of US citizens is always a top priority for the president,” a senior US official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
asserted
official → resolve → matters
The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
asserted
embassy → respond → comment
The Chinese foreign ministry said in July that the country’s judiciary deals with cases according to the law “and there is no so-called wrongful detention”.
uncertain
judiciary → say → law
‘Be strong’
Chen, whose detention was revealed by Reuters in July, is a seismologist with a US government contractor.
asserted
detention → reveal → contractor
His work detecting shockwaves from North Korean underground nuclear tests has been openly funded by the State Department and the US Air Force Research Laboratory.
asserted
work → detect → Department
He became a US citizen in 2011 and settled in the Boston area.
He was arrested by Chinese state security officers on Nov 5, 2024, at Beijing International Airport as he prepared to fly home after visiting family and lecturing at two universities.
asserted
he → become → universities
Rong said her husband had been interrogated more than 100 times.
asserted
husband → say → ?
“I can’t imagine how hard his life is there every day,” she said.
asserted
she → imagine → ?
She believes that China wants to use her husband’s expertise to improve its ability to conceal nuclear tests using decoupling, a technique in which a device is detonated inside a large underground chamber to reduce the size of the shockwaves.
asserted
device → believe → shockwaves
The US has accused China of using decoupling to try to mask a low-yield nuclear test blast on June 22, 2020.
asserted
US → accuse → June
China, which like the US has signed but not ratified a 1996 international ban on nuclear tests, denies conducting the test.
asserted
which → sign → test
US embassy officials had been allowed to visit Chen for about 30 minutes once a month, always in the presence of Chinese officials, Rong said.
asserted
Rong → allow → officials
They read out letters she had written to him and he dictated his replies.
asserted
he → read → replies
“They record his appearance, his mental status, and just anything that they observe,” she recounted, adding that Chen’s Chinese lawyer was not allowed to discuss his visits with her.
asserted
lawyer → record → her
Rong is concerned about the conditions of her husband’s confinement, where she said he received substandard medical care and food.
asserted
he → say → care
He suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes.
asserted
He → suffer → pressure
Asked what she would say to her husband if she could see him, Rong replied: “Be strong.
uncertain
Rong → ask → him
You will come back for sure.”
asserted
You → come → ?
The Aporia
