US pressing for release of Mass. seismologist who officials say has been wrongfully detained in China since 2024

A Massachusetts seismologist has been wrongfully detained in China since late 2024, and US officials are pressing for his release, according to the State Department and Senator Ed Markey.

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In a statement Tuesday, Markey, a Malden Democrat currently seeking reelection, identified the detained researcher as Dr. Youlin Chen.

Markey did not provide Chen’s age or his city of residence in Massachusetts but confirmed he lives in the state, calling him “myconstituent.”

“He is a prominent seismologist who has worked collaboratively with Chinese seismologists for years, and his work is highly respected,” Markey said. “He has never held a security clearance, and his work is transparent, academic in nature, and publicly reported and attributed.”

Markey said academics from both countries have “long collaborated” to the mutual benefit of the two nations.

He said the “treatment of Dr. Chen has undermined that partnership and may deter other academics from engaging with their colleagues in China.”

Chen hasn’t been convicted of a crime in China, according to Markey.

“Dr. Chen has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest and did not have access to his lawyer for 434 days,” Markey said. “He has also not spoken to his family since his arrest. I am deeply concerned about Dr. Chen’s safety and well-being.”

Markey said he’s glad the State Department has designated Chen as wrongfully detained under US law, something the senator said he repeatedly pressed for.

“I have personally engaged with [Chinese] Ambassador Xie Feng on Dr. Chen’s case and urged him to work with his colleagues in Beijing to secure Dr. Chen’s release,” Markey said. “I will continue to do everything within my power to advocate for Dr. Chen’s immediate release.”

A State Department spokesperson said Wednesday that the US has raised Chen’s case directly with Chinese officials, calling for him to immediately be freed from custody.

“We reiterate our call for Mr. Chen’s release,” the spokesperson said.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington DC, reached by email Wednesday, denied that Chen was being wrongfully held.

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“China is a country governed by the rule of law,” said embassy spokesperson Liu Chang in a statement. “Its judicial authorities handle cases in accordance with the law, and there is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention.”

The embassy did not respond to inquiries about why Chen was detained and the current status of his case.

James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, a New Hampshire-based nonprofit named for a journalist who was abducted in Syria in 2012 and killed in 2014 after nearly two years as a hostage, said Chen had traveled to China in October 2024 to visit family and was arrested at a Beijing airport the following month as he was set to fly home.

“The agents accused him of espionage because of the research he has done for the U.S. government; unfounded allegations against an American researcher,” said the foundation, which advocates for the return of US hostages held abroad, in a statement posted to its website.

Chen has a number of health issues, the foundation said.

“He suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, conditions that require consistent medication and medical monitoring,” the foundation said. “He needs reliable access to treatment and care that is not available while he is unjustly incarcerated.”

Chen’s wife, Yufang Rong, took to X on Tuesday to thank President Trump for advocating for her husband’s freedom.

“Thank you @realDonaldTrump for fighting for my husband Youlin Chen, the only U.S. wrongful detainee held in China for 600+ days,” Rong wrote on X.

Rong said in a follow-up posting that she’s “so grateful to have @SebGorka and other senior members of the Trump Administration advocating for the freedom of Dr. Youlin Chen.”

Markey, meanwhile, in his statement described wrongful detainment as a “cowardly practice” that benefits no one.

“I applaud the courage of Dr. Chen’s family for making this difficult decision to go public,” Markey said. “It is my hope that increased attention on his unjust detention will force the Chinese government to do the right thing and release Dr. Chen and allow him to return to his family in Massachusetts. I am praying for Dr. Youlin Chen and his family today.”

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