The wife of an American seismologist who has been held in China for nearly two years is urging the Trump administration to help bring him home.
The family of Youlin Chen, from Boston, broke their silence this week, a few months before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the U.S.
They apparently seen no indication from the Chinese government that it intended to release Chen, a China-born American. This comes despite President Donald Trump raising the case directly with Xi during a meeting in Beijing in May, according to Global Reach, a Washington-based nonprofit assisting Americans wrongly detained abroad.
"I have not been able to speak with my husband for over 600 days and am concerned for his health and well-being," Chen's wife, Yufang Rong said through Global Reach. "President Trump has taken a personal interest in freeing Youlin. Since taking office, he has already freed 106 people and I know that he and his team will bring Youlin home to us."
Global Reach identifies Chen as the sole U.S. citizen designated by the State Department as wrongfully detained in China. This classification signals a high-priority case for the U.S. government, often leading to intense diplomatic efforts to secure release.
President Trump has been clear that he wants every American detained abroad to return home, and he has reunited over 100 individuals with their families since taking office this term," Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, commented on Chen's situation.
Dr. Yufang Rong and her husband Dr. Youlin Chen, an American seismologist held for nearly two years by China, pose together at Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
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Dr. Yufang Rong and her husband Dr. Youlin Chen, an American seismologist held for nearly two years by China, pose together at Emerald Lake, Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada (Reuters)
Eric Lebson, a Global Reach adviser to Chen’s relatives, warned that if unresolved, Chen's case could "figure prominently" when Xi is anticipated to meet Trump in Washington in September. The family chose to speak out now because Chinese officials do not appear to be acting on Xi's commitment to Trump after the U.S. president raised Chen's detention in May, Lebson explained.
