The news that an American researcher was illegally arrested in China was welcomed by his brother on Thursday, who expressed hope that it would assist secure his release.

Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said on Thursday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Min Zin had been wrongfully detained following a "extensive review of the circumstances." Since early June, Min Zin has been incarcerated.

The announcement before the anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the United States next month.

Aung Maw Zin told CNN on Thursday, "When I heard the news, I teared up a little bit," adding that it conveys to Beijing that his older brother's situation is a top concern.

According to his brother, Min Zin traveled to Yunnan early this summer to attend a conference at Kunming University at the request of a professor he has known since 2018. He had previously visited China without any problems, including in 2025 for a conference.

This time, though, Min Zin was arrested as soon as he entered the nation. He is "suspected of spying and endangering Chinese national security," according to the Chinese government.

Min Zin is an authority on his home country of Myanmar, where he participated in the pro-democracy struggle as a young student activist. He eventually immigrated to the United States after being forced into hiding there for seven years. He met his wife, enrolled in a PhD program at UC Berkeley, and obtained US citizenship. Their daughter is a teenager.

In Min Zin's life, 2012 was a very significant year. He became a father and a naturalized citizen of the United States. For him, that moment held great significance. "When there was no safe place for him in his home country, Burma, America had granted him asylum," Aung Maw told CNN, referring to Myanmar by another name.

In 2016, Min Zin went back to Myanmar and founded the Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar, a think tank. He and his family relocated to Thailand after the coup in 2021, and they have remained there ever since.

According to Aung Maw Zin, his brother's studies have focused "solely" on Myanmar rather than China.

He is not hostile to China. He told CNN that he wants China to assist in resolving the Burmese situation.

Since his incarceration more than two months ago, Min Zin has been accessible to US diplomatic officers; nevertheless, his brother, wife, and daughter have not been able to communicate with him. According to Aung Maw Zin, he has been kept in solitary detention.

Youlin Chen, a seismologist who has been imprisoned since early November 2024, and Min Zin are now the two Americans who have been declared illegally arrested in China.

"The State Department's top priority is the safety and security of U.S. citizens," Johnson said in a statement. "We will keep fighting for Mr. Zin and demanding the release of all US citizens who are detained arbitrarily or prohibited from leaving China."

"China is a country governed by the rule of law," a representative for the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, told CNN when questioned about Min Zin's designation. There is no such thing as "wrongful detention," and its judicial institutions handle matters in compliance with the law.

"To my knowledge, relevant people from the United States are suspected of activities threatening China's national security and violating Chinese laws," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson remarked during a media briefing in Beijing on Friday.

The family is "deeply grateful to President Trump and Secretary Rubio for moving swiftly to designate Min Zin as wrongfully detained," according to Aung Maw Zin.

He stated, "I am confident in the President's ability to help secure my brother's release because we know how seriously he takes bringing Americans home."

Additionally, he claimed that the label shows Min Zin's daughter that her father is not a criminal.

When asked what he would advise his brother, Aung Maw Zin replied that he would encourage Min Zin to focus on his lifetime practice of meditation.

He said, "Please remain strong." "Everything we can is being done to get you and the family back home."