Three American citizens, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung, who were imprisoned for years in China on espionage and drug charges, have been released from detention and returned to the United States. The release was announced by the White House earlier this week as part of a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing.
China’s announcement comes after four Chinese nationals, including at least three who had been held for “political purposes,” were said to have been repatriated to China by the US. The Chinese government claims that the US returned these individuals without providing further information.
The three Americans released from Chinese detention were facing serious charges, with Swidan facing a death sentence on drug charges and Li and Leung sentenced to life in prison on espionage charges. Their release is seen as a positive development for US-China relations, which have been strained over issues such as trade, human rights, and security concerns.
The White House confirmed that President Biden has spoken to the released Americans, who are reportedly “happy” about their return home. This agreement comes just two months after China freed David Lin, a Christian pastor from California who had spent nearly 20 years behind bars on contract fraud charges.
The US and China have maintained diplomatic engagement despite tensions over issues such as Taiwan, security, and human rights. The release of these Americans is seen as an effort to ease tensions ahead of the transition between the Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
In a related move, the State Department lowered its travel warning to China from “level three” to “level two,” advising US citizens to exercise increased caution when traveling to the mainland.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/us-china-americans-detained-released-365258f044ec5a650aaeccf33d817d64