3 Americans detained for years in China have been released, the White House says

Three imprisoned Americans have been released after years of detention in China, the White House said Wednesday. 

Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung have been released, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said, and they will soon “return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years.” 

The Biden administration has repeatedly raised the issue of wrongfully detained Americans with Chinese officials. Mr. Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the issue on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, Peru earlier in November.  

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to foreign minister Wang Yi about the release of wrongfully detained Americans during multiple meetings in recent months. 

“Thanks to this Administration’s efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans 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 charged with narcotics trafficking. Swidan has denied the charges, which the U.S. says are trumped-up. The State Department categorized him as wrongly detained, and has previously raised concerns about his health. His family said earlier this year they feared Swidan might take his own life in while detained. 

Li, 60, has been held in a Chinese prison since September 2016. He has had a stroke in prison, according to John Kamm, executive director of Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights group that pushes for the release of those detained in China.   

Leung, 78, was arrested in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison for espionage in May 2023. Few details have been shared about the case. 

In a statement addressing Li’s release, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer credited President Biden’s “personal engagement with President Xi” with securing the release of the three men. 

“For the families of those Americans newly freed by the Chinese government, this Thanksgiving there is so much to be thankful for,” Schumer said. 

David Lin, a 68-year-old American pastor imprisoned on fraud charges for 18 years, was released by China in September. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.