Xue Feng

Xue Feng (Chinese: 薛峰; pinyin: Xuē Fēng; born February 6, 1965), a naturalized American citizen, is a geologist who worked for IHS Inc. and was sentenced to 8 years of prison by Chinese authorities for espionage. Dr. Xue was released and immediately deported to the U.S. on April 3, 2015 from the Beijing No.2 Prison after being incarcerated since November 20, 2007.

Life

Xue Feng was born on February 6, 1965 near the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province in China. While pursuing a geology degree at Xi'an's Northwest University in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he acted as an interpreter and guide for visiting geologists. One geologist that he met, David Rowley, invited him to do his PhD at the University of Chicago.

While at the University of Chicago, Xue Feng worked on ultra-high-pressure metamorphism, a transformation that can be seen in rocks that have been to depths of 70 km or more. He graduated with a doctoral degree in geology. He worked as the Northeast Asia manager for IHS Inc.

On Nov. 20, 2007, Xue was detained by Chinese authorities. He was eventually charged with espionage. While in prison, he was tortured.

Xue Feng has a wife, Nan Kang, and two children.

Publications

• Xue, Feng; Rowley, David B.; Baker, Judy (1996). "Refolded syn-ultrahigh-pressure thrust sheets in the south Dabie complex, China: Field evidence and tectonic implications". Geology. 24 (5): 455–458. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0455:RSUPTS>2.3.CO;2.
• Rowley, D.B.; Xue, F.; Tucker, R.D.; Peng, Z.X.; Baker, J.; Davis, A. (1997). "Ages of ultrahigh pressure metamorphism and protolith orthogneisses from the eastern Dabie Shan: U/Pb zircon geochronology". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 151 (3–4): 191–203. doi:10.1016/S0012-821X(97)81848-1.
• Baker, Judy; Matthews, Alan; Mattey, D.; Rowley, D.; Xue, F. (1997). "Fluid-rock interactions during ultra-high pressure metamorphism, Dabie Shan, China". Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 61 (8): 1685–1696. doi:10.1016/S0016-7037(97)00005-7.