Boston seismologist’s family breaks silence after 2 years of secret detention in China

State Secretary Marco Rubio designated Chen as wrongfully detained in March, but China says “there is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention.”

Image via James Foley Foundation, Dr. Yufang Rong

A Boston seismologist has been held in China for nearly two years without a public trial, forcing his family to break their silence this week as Beijing shows no plans to free him.

What happened

Youlin Chen, 54, was detained by Chinese state security agents in November 2024 while visiting his parents in Bei…