China arrests U.S. scholar, think tank director accused of spying

June 12 (UPI) -- China's foreign ministry confirmed Friday that it made the rare arrest of a U.S. citizen, the leader of a political think tank, for alleged espionage.

Chinese authorities accuse U Min Zin of endangering national security, The New York Times reports. Min Zin is the executive director of a Thailand-based think tank and is a political scientist.

Min Zin, a citizen of the United States, disappeared on June 3 in Kunming, China, the capital of the Yunnan province. He was there attending a meeting and was arrested at the airport.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Min Zin was arrested for suspicion of "engaging in espionage activities that endanger Chinese national security."

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"China is a country under the rule of law," the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., said in a statement. "All foreigners living and traveling in China must observe Chinese laws, and those who violate the law and commit crimes will be held legally accountable."

Min Zin was a student activist during the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar in 1988. He fled Myanmar to Thailand to evade arrest before moving to the United States to pursue higher education. He returned to Myanmar in 2010.

The think tank Min Zin leads is the Myanmar Institute for Strategic and Policy Studies. It was originally based in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar.

Min Zin currently lives in Thailand.

"We are aware of reports regarding a U.S. citizen detained in China," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. "Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained, we work to provide the appropriate consular assistance."