Trump to press Xi on release of US seismologist detained in China

The wife of US seismologist Youlin Chen, detained in China since late 2024, said the White House assured her that President Donald Trump will ask Chinese leader Xi Jinping to free her husband during their meeting this week. Chen is one of two Americans Beijing holds that the US designates as "wrongfully detained." Yufang Rong said she fears Beijing plans to try her Chinese-born husband on fabricated espionage charges, despite his openly published, US-funded research using public data and collaboration with Chinese scientists. Trump raised Chen's case with Xi in May without results, and Rong was also told Trump would press for the release of scholar Min Zin. Chen, a seismologist detecting North Korean nuclear test shockwaves, was arrested at Beijing International Airport on November 5, 2024. His research was funded by the State Department and US Air Force. China denies wrongful detention, citing national security concerns, while US officials visit Chen monthly under Chinese supervision.