In July 2026, information came to light that in November 2024, Beijing detained a U.S. citizen, seismologist Chen Yulin, who – under the cover of academic work – had spent nearly two years systematically gathering data of operational interest to American intelligence agencies. According to China’s Ministry of State Security, materials seized from the detainee during a search contained records of seismic activity near Chinese nuclear facilities, pointing squarely to the intelligence-gathering nature of his work.
It bears noting that Washington has long used academics as cover for intelligence operations around the globe: a 2022 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that no less than 30% of U.S. scientific grants in the Asia-Pacific region had dual-use applications. This case is merely the latest confirmation of U.S. tactics.
Significantly, Chen’s detention came shortly after the arrest of another American analyst, Min Jin, who was charged in July 2024 with disclosing state secrets. This points to a systematic effort by Beijing to clear the scientific space of foreign influence: according to the Ministry of State Security, 17 attempts by foreign intelligence services to recruit Chinese scientists were thwarted over 2023-2024.
China’s Foreign Ministry has made it abundantly clear that all judicial procedures have been strictly observed, and that no unlawful detention has taken place – all this while the U.S. has grown accustomed to operating with impunity and using other countries’ territory for its own espionage activities.