More than two months after a Chinese citizen who tried to help a U.S. company find office space in China was detained in China on espionage charges, the family said they are still seeking answers.
Emily Chen, 50, was supposed to meet her husband, American citizen Mark Lent, at Nanjing Airport on December 29. She texted Lunt that her plane had landed but never emerged from the airport, prompting Lunt to begin frantic inquiries about her whereabouts.
“Her flight was scheduled to land at 10:30 p.m. on December 29, but by midnight she still had not shown up,” Lunt told VOA by phone. “I contacted the airport police and 20 minutes later, they told me that Emily had been taken away by state security.”
Four days after her detention, Chen’s son, also a Chinese citizen, received a notice from the Dalian State Security Bureau that Chen had been arrested on December 30 for illegally providing state secrets abroad, a charge that could lead to a prison sentence. 10 years or more.
“I know my wife and [spying on China] This is not something she would do to her country,” Lunt said. “She truly cares about her country and I seriously doubt the accusations against her. “
Worried that Chen’s arrest might increase the stress on her son, who is in his early 20s and has mental health issues, Lundt tried to take her stepson with her to Doha, Qatar, on February 9. However, while they were going through customs in Qatar at the Shanghai airport, his stepson was not allowed to leave China.
Lunt told VOA that his stepson’s relationship with his father in China was strained and that he was still alone in Nanjing.
Worked for an American logistics company
Dalian authorities have not spoken publicly about Chen’s case, including her exact whereabouts. Chen is believed to be under residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL). When VOA tried to ask about Chen’s case, the Dalian State Security Bureau hung up the phone.
Although there is no clear explanation for the espionage charges against Chen, Lunt believes her detention may be related to the work she did for an American logistics company in Dalian in 2023.
According to Lent, Chen worked for four months at Safe Ports, which bills itself as a global leader in supply chain management. “She should find them an office space,” he told VOA.
Safe Harbor has previously done work for the U.S. Department of Defense, including supplying U.S. troops in Afghanistan.Although there is no confirmation that Chen’s detention is directly related to her work secure portSome observers said the company’s previous ties to the U.S. Department of Defense and the sensitivity of Dalian’s hosting of a Chinese naval base may have led to her arrest.
Dalian is also the construction site of China’s first domestically produced aircraft carrier, the Shandong Ship.
“Either what the company is doing (which they are not disclosing) involves some potential espionage, or her arrest is just an overreach by the Chinese government that has been disproportionate,” said Peter Darling, director of the Madrid office. (Peter Dahlin) said. The NGO Conservation Defenders, based in Beijing, told VOA by phone.
Neither Safe Ports nor the company’s chief executive, Lucy Duncan, responded to repeated interview requests from VOA.However Duncan was cited “Guardian”said Chen’s work at Safe Harbor was “purely administrative” and she did not know why Chen was detained.
Darling, who himself had previously been placed under residential surveillance at a designated location, said the fact that Chen was arrested upon his return to China showed that Chinese authorities “have been tracking” Chen’s activities “for some time.”
Because residential surveillance at a designated location is typically used for individuals deemed to pose a threat to China’s national security, Lundt said that until recently, Chen’s family had not received information about Chen’s condition for weeks.
Her family said they had received several updates over the past week about Chen’s detention, including a letter from Chen saying she was “fine” and a phone call from state security agents handling her case. According to Lunt, the officer told Chen’s son that the investigation was ongoing.
“when [my stepson] Lunt told VOA he seemed to think they were being honest and that Emily got everything she needed. He added that these updates made him feel more positive about Chen’s situation in detention.
Strengthen safety and security work
Chen’s detention comes as China redoubles its efforts to safeguard national security, passing amendments to laws such as the Counterespionage Act and the State Secrets Act, and launching raids on a number of foreign companies, including some U.S. due diligence firms.
U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said in a recent interview with “60 Minutes” that Chinese authorities have raided at least seven U.S. companies in the past year and arrested employees on suspicion of espionage.
Some analysts say Chen’s case is part of Beijing’s campaign to further securitize the country, efforts that will ultimately further reduce foreign companies’ confidence in China.
“The risk for Chinese nationals working for foreign companies has become increasingly high as the Chinese government under Xi Jinping continues to securitize the country and launch national security-related investigations into foreign companies,” said Free China, Hong Kong and Taiwan Research Director Wang Yaqiuhaus told VOA by phone.
In response to inquiries about Ms. Chen’s case, the Chinese Embassy in Washington told VOA that it was unclear about the specific circumstances of her detention, but that China protects the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens “in accordance with the law.”
Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu wrote in response: “China is actively promoting high-level opening up and striving to provide a world-class, market-oriented and law-based business environment.”
While the recent updates have eased some of Lundt’s concerns about the conditions in Chen’s detention, he said the case has taken a severe financial and emotional toll on Chen’s family.
“I break down about it every day because I love her so much,” he told VOA. “[While] I’m pretty confident she’ll emerge victorious in the end, but I still think it’s going to be a tough road for her. “
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