Beijing, China - China on Friday refuted claims made by Washington that it has improperly held a US citizen in custody since June, saying the American was suspected of violating Chinese law.

"China is a country governed by the rule of law, and there is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in response to a question from the press on Thursday.

Lin had been asked about the decision taken by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday to formally designate US citizen Min Zin as "wrongfully detained."

"It is understood that the relevant US individual in question is suspected of engaging in activities that endanger China's national security, thereby violating Chinese law," said Lin.

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"The Chinese judicial authorities are handling the case in accordance with the law," he added.

Min Zin is a founder of the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar (ISP-M), which researches the political, resource, and conflict dynamics of Myanmar, a country that was plunged into civil war by a 2021 coup.

The political analyst was taken into custody on June 3 in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, which borders Myanmar, the US government said.

Some of the ISP-M's publications detail China's influence in the borderlands of Myanmar, where Beijing is accused of supporting armed factions which suit its national interests.

The State Department's designation makes Min Zin the second US citizen considered by Washington to be "wrongfully detained" in China, alongside seismologist Youlin Chen, who has been held on espionage charges since 2024.