Min Zin, a U.S. citizen and head of a think tank focused on Myanmar, was arrested in China on suspicion of spying. He was detained at Kunming Changshui International Airport in Yunnan province after being invited by a Chinese academic institution. The Chinese government claims he engaged in espionage and endangered national security. The U.S. State Department is aware of the situation and is providing consular assistance. Min Zin, a former student activist from Myanmar, is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. His arrest comes amid tense U.S.-China relations and just before Myanmar’s president’s visit to China. China has supported Myanmar’s recent military-led election, which many Western countries have criticized.
QUESTION: How might the arrest of a U.S. citizen in China impact diplomatic relations between the two countries?
China arrests a U.S. scholar with a history of Myanmar activism, suspected of spying
