A National Security Council spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that China was releasing three Americans who were “wrongfully detained” and that the three U.S. citizens were returning to the country.
“We are pleased to announce the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung from detention in the People’s Republic of China,” a National Security Council spokesperson said, according to Fox News. “Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years. Thanks to this Administration’s efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans in the PRC are home.”
According to NBC News, 70-year-old Li was detained in China in 2016 and sentenced in 2018 to 10 years over espionage charges. The outlet noted that Li’s family has denied the espionage allegations China brought against him.
NBC News reported that Swidan is a Texas businessman in his 40s who has been detained in China since 2012. The Texas businessman was sentenced to death with a reprieve in 2019 following a disputed drug-related conviction.
According to NBC News, Leung is an American citizen over 70 years old who also has a permanent residency in Hong Kong. Leung was sentenced to life in prison last year after being convicted of espionage.
NBC News also reported that a senior U.S. official confirmed that China had released the three U.S. citizens and that the Americans were safely in U.S. custody and flying back to the United States on Wednesday.
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According to NBC News, a U.S. official indicated that the release of the three U.S. citizens was part of prisoner swap in exchange for Ji Chaoqun, a Chinese national, and Xu Yanjun, a Chinese Ministry of State Security officer. The outlet noted that Chaoqun was arrested and charged for spying on behalf of China, while Yanjun was was arrested for allegedly attempting to steal from GE Aviation.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) celebrated the release of the three American citizens from China.
“I am overjoyed that Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung have been released and are returning to their families. I could not be happier for Mark’s mother Katherine Swidan, who from her home in Luling, Texas, has spent 12 years waging an unremitting battle to ensure Mark’s release and make today a reality,” Cruz said. “President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Carstens, Ambassador Burns, and their teams have for years worked tirelessly to secure this achievement, and I am deeply grateful for all their efforts.”
