Official announcements from the U.S. State Department or news reports

U.S. Frees Swidan, Li, Leung in Prisoner Swap with China

Nov 27, 2024, 02:37 PM

On Wednesday, the United States secured the release of three Americans imprisoned in China—Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung—through a prisoner exchange involving three unidentified Chinese citizens held in U.S. custody. The Biden administration brokered the deal following years of intensive diplomatic efforts between White House and State Department officials and their Chinese counterparts. All three Americans had been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained, and their release means that all Americans wrongfully held in China are now free. The exchange comes ahead of Thanksgiving and marks a significant development in U.S.-China relations.