U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during a summit on May 14. Rubio has determined that China “wrongfully detained” an American citizen, academic Min Zin. © Reuters
JAMES HAND-CUKIERMAN
August 21, 2026 17:35 JST
TOKYO — China on Friday denied that its arrest of an American researcher was a “wrongful detention,” hours after the U.S. State Department signaled that securing the academic’s release was a top priority.