U.S. Trades Chinese Detainees for Three Imprisoned Americans

U.S. Trades Chinese Detainees for Three Imprisoned Americans

The Biden administration has secured the release of three American citizens—Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung—by exchanging them for unidentified Chinese nationals held in U.S. custody, according to a source familiar with the agreement.

This development follows years of intense diplomatic negotiations involving the White House, the State Department, and their Chinese counterparts. The agreement builds on a similar exchange in September, which resulted in the release of American citizen David Lin in exchange for a detained Chinese national.

The return of Swidan, Li, and Leung represents a significant diplomatic achievement for President Joe Biden and the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. It also resolves a long-standing point of tension in U.S.-China relations, which had drawn criticism from members of Congress. In October, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) urged the administration to prioritize the release of Swidan and Li in a letter to the president.

Over the past four years, the administration has successfully negotiated the return of more than 70 Americans detained abroad, including in countries such as Russia, Venezuela, and Iran. The three men are expected to arrive in the U.S. within hours and will likely undergo evaluation and reintegration at Brooke Army Medical Center near San Antonio, Texas.

The source emphasized the extensive effort behind the deal, noting that President Biden raised the issue during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Peru two weeks ago. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken also pushed for their release during diplomatic meetings in September, including at the United Nations General Assembly.

The framework for this swap builds on the model used in Lin’s release, potentially setting a precedent for future negotiations. Beijing may view the exchange as an opportunity to encourage the U.S. State Department to lower its current travel advisory for China, which warns Americans to reconsider travel due to risks of arbitrary law enforcement and wrongful detentions.

The release also raises hopes that other detained or restricted U.S. citizens in China might benefit from similar negotiations. Advocacy groups estimate that over 200 Americans are unjustly imprisoned in China, with at least 30 subject to exit bans. Legislators have called on the State Department to classify as “wrongfully detained” any American who did not receive a fair and transparent trial in China.