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Last updated on: July 06, 2016 5:56 PM<\/span><\/p> <\/p> A U.N. committee says an American businesswoman Sandy Phan-Gillis, detained in China since last year, has been subjected to “arbitrary detention” and should be released or given access to legal counsel.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) said in a report released this week that “international norms to the right to a fair trial and to liberty and security” had not been observed.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> In Washington, the U.S. State Department expressed concerns about the welfare of Phan-Gillis, urging China to resolve the case expeditiously and to ensure her “full access to an attorney.”<\/span><\/p> <\/p> “<\/span>While not legally binding, we would encourage the government of China to review and consider the opinion and recommendations received from the working group,” spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> Kirby added that the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou, China, had been providing assistance, including monthly visits, to Phan-Gillis since she was detained on March 20, 2015. A consular officer last visited her on June 20. <\/span><\/p> <\/p> Phan-Gillis, who ran a consulting firm that facilitated business dealings between U.S. and Chinese companies, was on a trip to China with a delegation from the city of Houston, Texas in March 2015 when Chinese officials detained her at the border with Macau. She has been accused of espionage.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> Phan-Gillis was held for six months in a secret location before being transferred to a detention center in the southern region of Guangxi, where she was initially held in solitary confinement. She has not had access to a lawyer and has not been able to communicate with her family since September 2015, according to the report.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> The White House had said in September that it was closely monitoring the case and had asked the Chinese government “direct questions” about it.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> Phan-Gillis’ arrest has come as a shock to both Houston’s Vietnamese and Chinese communities. Although she is of Chinese descent, she was born in Vietnam and came to the United States from that country as a refugee 40 years ago.<\/span><\/p> <\/p> The case is receiving renewed attention ahead of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Beijing next week.<\/span><\/p> <\/p>