China releases three Americans for four U.S. prisoners [Video]

WASHINGTON –

Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and are returning to the United States, the White House said Wednesday, announcing a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration.

The Chinese government also announced Thursday that the U.S. had returned four people to China, including at least three Chinese citizens who it said had been held for “political purposes,” and a person who had been sought by Beijing for crimes and had been living in the United States. It did not identify the four.

The three Americans released by Beijing are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, all of whom had been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained by China. Swidan had been facing a death sentence on drug charges while Li and Leung were imprisoned on espionage charges.

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