Three Americans released in US-China prisoner swap

Three Americans detained in China have been released after the Biden administration negotiated a prisoner exchange.

Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung are on their way back to the United States, a National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years,” the statement said.

The exchange reportedly lasted months and included the release of at least one Chinese citizen detained in the United States.

President Biden raised the issue of Americans unjustly detained in China directly with President Xi Jinping earlier this month when the two met at the Apec summit in Peru, according to a U.S. official familiar with the negotiations. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also called for their return during his visit to China in August.

“Thanks to the efforts of this administration and diplomacy with the PRC, all Americans unjustly detained in the PRC are home,” the NSC spokesperson said.

The exchange was first reported by Politico.

Mr. Swidan, 48, had been detained since 2012 and faced the death penalty after being convicted of drug trafficking. Swidan denied the accusations and the State Department classified him as wrongly detained, previously raising concerns about his health.

Mark Li, 60, had been detained in China since September 2016 on what activists say were trumped-up espionage charges.

John Leung, 78, has led several pro-Beijing groups in the United States. He was arrested in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison for espionage two years later.

According to the New York Times, several US officials said they discussed the release of Chinese citizen Xu Yanjun, 42, who was convicted of espionage in the United States two years ago and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Xu was the first Chinese government intelligence officer to be extradited to the United States for trial, the Justice Department said.

As of Wednesday morning, Xu was listed in the Bureau of Prisons system as “not in BOP custody.”

The deal marks a diplomatic victory for Biden in the final months of his presidency.

It follows the release of another American considered wrongly detained: David Lin, a pastor imprisoned in China from 2006 until his release in September.

During his four years in the White House, Biden oversaw the release of more than 70 Americans, including from Russia, Venezuela and Iran.

On Wednesday, the United States also lowered its travel warning level for mainland China to Level 2: exercise increased caution.

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