Three US prisoners who had been held in China for several years have been released in a prisoner exchange between the United States and China.
US prisoners to return soon
A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council confirmed the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung. “We are pleased to announce the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung from detention in the People’s Republic of China,” the spokesperson said. “Soon, they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years.”
The release came as part of a swap with unidentified Chinese nationals, and the Americans are now in U.S. custody, according to a U.S. official. Politico was the first to report the Americans’ release.
“Thanks to this Administration’s efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans in the PRC are home,” the spokesperson added on Wednesday.
US prisoners wrongfully detained by China
Li and Swidan had been designated as wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department.
Swidan was arrested in 2012 on drug-related charges and had spent over a decade in detention, which his mother describes as a “holding tank.” She claims he endured both physical and psychological torture and even attempted suicide. Swidan was sentenced to death in 2019.
Li has been imprisoned since 2016 and is serving a ten-year sentence on espionage charges.
Leung was detained in 2021 and, in 2023, was sentenced to life in prison on charges of espionage. A prominent leader in pro-Beijing groups in the U.S., Leung has had long-standing connections with senior Chinese government officials.
US-China relations
The development also addresses a long-standing issue in U.S.-China relations that has drawn criticism from lawmakers for years. Just last month, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) called on the administration to prioritize the release of Li and Swidan in a letter to President Biden.
Over the past four years, the administration, through the State Department’s Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, has successfully secured the return of more than 70 Americans from countries such as Russia, Venezuela, and Iran.
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