( CNN ) -- The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said Friday it was `` extremely disappointed '' by a Chinese court decision to uphold the eight-year prison sentence of American citizen Xue Feng . `` I am extremely disappointed in the outcome although it was n't completely unexpected , '' said U.S . Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman . `` We ask the Chinese government to consider an immediate humanitarian parole of Xue Feng thereby allowing him to get back to his family and his way of life . '' The geologist , a naturalized American citizens , was convicted on charges of violating state secrets and faces a fine of 200,000 yuan ( about U.S. $ 30,400 ) . Xue has spent about three years in prison since his arrest . University of Chicago 's Dr. David B. Rowley , Xue 's former professor who has rallied for his release , said in July that Xue was languishing in prison on vague charges . `` I find this whole thing just unbelievable in no small part because the rationale is just so thoroughly flawed , '' Rowley said . Xue `` has always been a straight shooter , '' Rowley said . `` He was not ... a wheeler-dealer type . '' He is `` an honest , hard worker and this came as a real surprise to him as well . '' Xue was working in China as a leading geologist for the Colorado-based IHS Consulting firm , a global provider of energy-related information , Rowley said , and the information Xue was privy to did not include state secrets . While Rowley said he was not privy to the specific database mentioned in Xue 's indictment , the professor said the pieces of information commonly contained in such databases are not state secrets . `` These types of databases usually contain information related to the petroleum potential of a given area , and that might include what wells already have been drilled and information on the geology and geophysical or underlying structure of these areas . That 's pretty much it , '' he said . Xue 's job as a leading consultant for IHS involved acquiring and reselling this type of data , Rowley said . He said that as a petroconsultant , Xue thought he was viewed favorably by the Chinese because he was able to sell to Chinese officials similar data from countries in which the Chinese had drilling interests . Rowley said Xue had resigned from IHS at the time of his arrest and believed that the warnings issued by Chinese officials concerning the database were not issued against him , but against his employers , he said . `` IHS is extremely disappointed at the news and is very sympathetic to the situation . We are continuing to work with our advisors on the issue , '' IHS spokesman Ed Mattix at the time of Xue 's sentencing in July . CNN 's Jaime FlorCruz contributed to this story .
The American citizen was sentenced to eight years for allegedly violating state secret laws . The US ambassador to China has called for his release on humanitarian parole . He was working in China as a geologist for a Colorado - based mining firm .