Official White House press releases or statements

Biden Quietly Grants Clemency to Chinese Spies and Pedophile in Prisoner Swap

Dec 13, 2024, 12:35 PM

President Joe Biden has granted clemency to three Chinese nationals as part of a prisoner swap agreement with China, securing the release of three Americans detained in Beijing. The Chinese nationals, Yanjun Xu, Ji Chaoqun, and Shanlin Jin, were convicted of various crimes including espionage and possession of child pornography. Xu was convicted of economic espionage and trade secret theft, Chaoqun for conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government, and Jin for possessing over 47,000 images of child pornography. The Americans released were Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung, who had been detained on charges ranging from drug trafficking to espionage. This clemency was granted quietly in November, with no public announcement from the White House at the time. The move has drawn criticism and scrutiny, especially given the nature of the crimes committed by the Chinese nationals. This action was part of Biden's larger clemency spree, which also included a controversial pardon for his son Hunter, and was the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern American history.