Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the People's Republic of China has engaged in the arbitrary or wrongful detention of American academics and has otherwise harmed the prospects for scientific collaboration and people-to-people exchanges between the United States and the People's Republic of China.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1549 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1549

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the People's 
Republic of China has engaged in the arbitrary or wrongful detention of 
     American academics and has otherwise harmed the prospects for 
  scientific collaboration and people-to-people exchanges between the 
           United States and the People's Republic of China.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 16, 2026

  Mr. Lynch (for himself, Mr. Moolenaar, and Mrs. Kim) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the People's 
Republic of China has engaged in the arbitrary or wrongful detention of 
     American academics and has otherwise harmed the prospects for 
  scientific collaboration and people-to-people exchanges between the 
           United States and the People's Republic of China.

Whereas the People's Republic of China (referred to in this preamble as the 
        ``PRC'') has a long history of detaining United States citizens under 
        dubious circumstances or depriving them of their freedom;
Whereas the PRC has used the arbitrary or wrongful detention of Americans and 
        other foreign nationals for political purposes to obtain concessions 
        from the United States and other countries, undermining the legitimacy 
        of the PRC's judicial system;
Whereas current and previous Secretaries of State have determined that at least 
        5 United States citizens were being wrongfully detained in the PRC 
        pursuant to section 302(e)(2)(A) of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery 
        and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741(e)(2)(A)) since 
        the designation was established on December 27, 2020;
Whereas the PRC's arbitrary or wrongful detention of United States citizens--

    (1) undermines the rule of law;

    (2) subjects United States citizens and their families to undue 
hardship; and

    (3) is unacceptably coercive to the United States Government;

Whereas the Department of State previously recommended that United States 
        citizens traveling to the PRC reconsider such travel due to serious 
        risks, including wrongful detention, but the China Travel Advisory was 
        downgraded from Level 3 to Level 2 on November 27, 2024;
Whereas, on November 5, 2024, the Government of the PRC arrested Dr. Youlin 
        Chen, who is a United States citizen who has conducted transparent and 
        open-source seismological research in cooperation with academics in the 
        PRC, and has held him on baseless espionage charges for more than 600 
        days without a trial or access to his family;
Whereas the Government of the PRC deprived Dr. Chen of access to a lawyer for 
        the first 434 days of his detention and interrogated him more than 100 
        times about his work without a lawyer present;
Whereas despite high-level engagement between the United States Government and 
        the Government of the PRC to resolve Dr. Chen's case, the Government of 
        the PRC has not yet taken any productive action to release Dr. Chen;
Whereas, on June 3, 2026, authorities of the PRC detained Min Zin, a United 
        States citizen who is the executive director of a Myanmar-focused policy 
        think tank, at the Kunming Changshui International Airport after he was 
        invited to attend an academic event at a university in Yunnan province 
        in the PRC;
Whereas the Kunming Municipal State Security Bureau has subjected Min Zin to 
        detention and he has not been denied yet had access to legal counsel;
Whereas the PRC's practice of engaging in ``hostage diplomacy'' against the 
        United States and other foreign countries runs contrary to its stated 
        intent to promote academic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, 
        increasing the risks for United States citizens and others considering 
        travel to the PRC; and
Whereas in advance of the anticipated visit to Washington, DC in September 2026 
        by the PRC leadership, the Government of the PRC has an opportunity to 
        demonstrate its good faith and commitment to a constructive relationship 
        of ``strategic stability'' by unconditionally releasing Dr. Youlin Chen 
        and Min Zin: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the People's Republic of China's repeated 
        pattern of arbitrary or wrongful detention of United States 
        citizens as unacceptable and a material harm to the bilateral 
        relationship and the prospects for bolstering academic 
        cooperation and people-to-people exchanges;
            (2) urges the United States Government to make the safe 
        return of United States citizens detained in China a top 
        priority, including the return of Dr. Chen and Min Zin;
            (3) urges the Secretary of State to use all available tools 
        to press for the release of all United States nationals being 
        unlawfully or wrongfully detained in the People's Republic of 
        China, including by--
                    (A) considering adding a ``D'' indicator to the 
                China Travel Advisory to make it clear to United States 
                nationals considering travel to the People's Republic 
                of China that the country engages in the wrongful 
                detention of Americans;
                    (B) reviewing the Travel Advisory Level on China to 
                see if the current risks indicate raising it from Level 
                2 (exercise increased caution) to Level 3 (reconsider 
                travel); and
                    (C) reviewing the criteria for designation as a 
                State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention pursuant to the 
                Countering Wrongful Detention Act (22 U.S.C. 1741); and
            (4) supports President Trump's efforts to raise concerns 
        about the continued detention of Dr. Chen and Min Zin to bring 
        both United States citizens home to their loved ones safely and 
        quickly.
                                 <all>