United States and China Complete Mutual Prisoner Release

The Biden administration facilitated a prisoner exchange, resulting in the release of three Americans held in China and three Chinese prisoners in the United States. Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung are currently en route to the US, as confirmed by a National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson in a statement issued on Wednesday. The statement noted, “Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years.” This exchange, which reportedly took several months to arrange, involved the release of three Chinese citizens from US custody, a fact confirmed by Chinese authorities on Wednesday. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Wednesday, “Through the unremitting efforts of the Chinese Government, the three Chinese citizens wrongfully detained by the United States have returned to their motherland safely.” She further asserted, “China has always been firmly opposed to the suppression and persecution of Chinese nationals by the United States for political purposes.” An American official involved in the negotiations indicated that President Biden addressed the matter of Americans wrongfully detained in China directly with President Xi Jinping earlier this month during their meeting at the Apec summit in Peru. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had also advocated for their return during his trip to China in August. The NSC spokesperson commented, “Thanks to this Administration’s efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans in the PRC are home.” Politico was the first to report on this swap. Mr. Swidan, 48, had been imprisoned since 2012 and faced the death penalty following a conviction for narcotics trafficking. He denied these charges, and the State Department designated him as wrongfully detained, having previously expressed concerns regarding his health. Mark Li, 60, had been held in China since September 2016 on what activists described as trumped-up spying charges. John Leung, 78, who has led multiple pro-Beijing organizations in the US, was arrested in 2021 and subsequently sentenced to life in prison on espionage charges two years later. The New York Times reported that several US officials confirmed discussions regarding the release of Chinese citizen Xu Yanjun, 42, who was convicted in the US on espionage charges two years prior and received a 20-year prison sentence. The Justice Department stated that Xu was the first Chinese government intelligence officer ever extradited to the US for trial. By Wednesday morning, Xu’s status in the Bureau of Prisons system was updated to “not in BOP custody.” This agreement represents a diplomatic achievement for President Biden during the concluding period of his presidency. It comes after the September release of David Lin, a pastor who had been imprisoned in China from 2006 and was also considered wrongfully detained. Throughout his four-year tenure in the White House, President Biden has overseen the release of over 70 Americans, including individuals from Russia, Venezuela, and Iran. Additionally, on Wednesday, the US reduced its travel advisory level for mainland China to Level 2: Exercise increased caution.