The United States (U.S.) secured the release of three Americans detained in China through a prisoner swap that also saw three Chinese nationals freed from U.S. custody. The agreement, announced Wednesday, concluded months of negotiations between Washington and Beijing.
The Americans released include Mark Swidan, a Texas businessman detained in China since 2012 on drug-related charges; Kai Li, a Long Island, New York resident accused of espionage and held since 2016; and John Leung, a 78-year-old with dual U.S. and Hong Kong residency, who was sentenced to life in prison last year on espionage charges.
Swidan’s detention, which lasted over a decade, drew international criticism, including from the United Nations, which described his conviction as lacking evidence and his imprisonment as arbitrary. Li was accused of providing state secrets to the United States, a charge his family has consistently denied as politically motivated. Leung, known for his public support of pro-Beijing groups in the U.S., had reportedly worked as an informant for the FBI, which may have contributed to his detention in China.
In exchange, the U.S. released three Chinese nationals, including Xu Yanjun, a senior intelligence officer in China’s Ministry of State Security. Xu had been convicted in 2021 of espionage charges, including attempting to steal proprietary technology from GE Aviation. He was the first Chinese intelligence officer to be extradited to the U.S. and tried in federal court.
The Chinese government confirmed the return of Xu and two other individuals on Wednesday, describing them as victims of political persecution.
The deal followed direct negotiations between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the APEC summit in Peru earlier this month. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also raised the issue in meetings with Chinese officials throughout the year, emphasizing the U.S. government’s commitment to securing the release of wrongfully detained Americans.
The Biden administration hailed the prisoner swap as a diplomatic success, with a National Security Council spokesperson emphasizing that all Americans designated as wrongfully detained in China are now home.
