On November 27, 2024 (Reuters) – The United States has successfully negotiated the release of three Americans who it claims were unjustly detained in China for an extended period, as announced by the White House on Wednesday.

The National Security Council of the White House identified the three individuals as Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung, confirming that all U.S. citizens regarded as wrongfully detained in China are now back home. In response, China stated that such instances are managed in accordance with its legal system.

According to Politico, the negotiations to finalize this deal spanned several years, and in exchange, several Chinese nationals held in the United States would also be set free.

A U.S. official revealed that President Joe Biden advocated for the release of the three Americans during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month at a regional summit in Peru.

In September, China released U.S. pastor David Lin, who had been incarcerated since 2006.