(TheConservativeTimes.org) – Marking a major diplomatic victory amidst rising tensions with the communist regime, three unfairly detained American citizens were released from Chinese custody.
After spending years in jail due to wrongful detentions, Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung are finally free.
Swidan, who faced a shocking death sentence on unfounded drug charges, was detained in 2012.
Li and Leung were both accused of espionage, with Li sentenced in 2016 and Leung receiving a life sentence in 2021.
The U.S. government had long designated these detentions as wrongful and kept lobbying for their release by holding negotiations with China.
In the end, the United States was able to successfully negotiate a prisoner swap for these American citizens.
This deal involved the release of three unidentified Chinese nationals from U.S. custody.
Sources suggest the swap might include individuals like Chinese citizen Xu Yanjun, who was convicted in the U.S. for espionage.
It seems that Joe Biden’s direct conversation with China’s President Xi Jinping helped advance the prisoner swap talks and end these wrongful detentions.
Additionally, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s advocacy efforts during his visit to China in August have received some credit.
Families expressed that they were relieved that their complaints to the U.S. administration had the desired results.
Kai Li’s son Harrison had previously highlighted the urgent need to bring his father home before the Biden administration ended.
Despite this breakthrough, U.S.-China relations continue to face huge challenges involving trade, human rights and geopolitical interests.
The U.S. has issued travel advisories to warn Americans that China could enforce arbitrary local laws, including exit bans, to trap them inside.
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