China raids US firm in Beijing, detains five staff members

Chinese authorities raided the office of a U.S. firm in Beijing earlier this week and detained all five of its local staff members, according to media reports.

The Mintz Group, a New York-based due diligence firm, said Friday that its employees were detained without notice and its Beijing office was closed, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our colleagues in China, where we have retained legal counsel to engage with the authorities and support our people and their families,” the company said in a statement, according to the Journal.

“Mintz Group hasn’t received any official legal notice regarding a case against the company and has requested that the authorities release its employees,” the company added. “We are ready to work with the Chinese authorities to resolve any misunderstanding that may have led to these events.”

The raid was reportedly conducted on Monday afternoon, Reuters reported. A spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry said Friday she was not aware of the case, according to Reuters.

The raid on the U.S. firm comes as relations between Washington and Beijing remain tense, following the incursion of a Chinese spy balloon in U.S. airspace last month and U.S. allegations that China is considering providing Russia with lethal aid for its war in Ukraine.

The Hill has reached out to the Mintz Group for comment.