Three imprisoned Americans have been released after years of detention in China, the White House announced Wednesday.
Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung have been released, a National Security Council spokesperson said, and they “will return soon and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years.”
The Biden administration has repeatedly raised the issue of unjustly detained Americans with Chinese officials. Mr. Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the issue on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, Peru, in early November.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan have spoken to Foreign Minister Wang Yi about the release of unjustly detained Americans in several meetings in recent months.
“Thanks to this administration’s efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all Americans unjustly detained in the PRC are home,” the National Security Council spokesperson said.
Swidan, a 48-year-old Texas businessman, was on death row in China. He had been behind bars since 2012 after being accused of drug trafficking. Swidan has denied the accusations, which the United States considers false. THE State Department wrongly called him a detainee and has previously raised concerns about his health. Her family said earlier this year that they feared Swidan could commit suicide during his detention.
Li, 60, has been detained in a Chinese prison since September 2016. He suffered a stroke in prison, according to John Kammexecutive director of the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group that advocates for the release of people detained in China.
Leung, 78, was arrested in 2021 and life sentence for espionage in May 2023. Few details have been shared about the case.
In a statement regarding Li’s release, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer credited “President Biden’s personal engagement with President Xi” in securing the release of the three men.
“For the families of Americans newly freed by the Chinese government, there is so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving,” Schumer said.
David Lina 68-year-old American pastor imprisoned for 18 years for fraud, was released by China in September.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
