3 Americans, jailed for years in China, are released in prisoner swap

In a major breakthrough, Washington and Beijing reached a deal to release three Americans who had been “wrongfully detained” in China for years, the White House said on Wednesday.

The announcement came at the same time the State Department eased its travel warning for Americans heading to mainland China.

Multiple US news outlets, citing US officials, reported that the deal involved the release of at least one Chinese prisoner. The White House declined to confirm that Chinese citizens in US custody had been freed.

The released prisoners are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung. Swidan, who had been detained since 2012, was facing a death sentence on drug charges, and Li and Leung were accused of espionage.

“Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years,” the White House said, adding that there were no longer any Americans wrongfully detained in China.

The exchange represents a rare diplomatic breakthrough between the two nations in the final months of US President Joe Biden’s administration.