The United States has announced that three Americans who were wrongfully detained in China have been released and are on their way home. The three men, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung, had spent years in Chinese prisons.
Mark Swidan: A businessman accused of drug-related crimes. He faced a possible death sentence, but human rights groups said the charges were false.
Kai Li: A US citizen who moved from China and ran a business in America. He was arrested in 2016 during a visit to Shanghai and accused of sharing secrets with the FBI. His family called the accusations unfair.
John Leung: He was detained in 2021 during the COVID-19 lockdown in China. Authorities accused him of spying.
The US government worked for years to get the men released. President Joe Biden and other US officials talked to Chinese leaders about their cases many times. Last month, Biden spoke with China’s President Xi Jinping during a meeting in Peru.
While some believe the release may be part of a prisoner swap, the US has not confirmed this. Officials only said they raised the issue many times with China.
The White House said the three men would soon return home and reunite with their families. “They will see their families again for the first time in years,” the White House said in a statement.
This release comes at a time when relations between the US and China are complicated. While President Biden has worked to maintain steady relations with China, the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump has promised to take a tougher stance on China, including adding higher tariffs.
For now, this release shows that the two countries can still cooperate on important issues, even with tensions between them.