American prisoners released from China in swap with U.S.

The People’s Republic of China on Wednesday released three American prisoners who had spent years languishing in Chinese prisons after being unlawfully detained – in exchange for Chinese nationals serving prison sentences in the U.S.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the release of the three American prisoners – Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung – was part of the Biden administration’s effort to bring home American citizens locked up abroad.

The WSJ further reported that while U.S. officials refused to say who they release for the American detainees, there were at least two Chinese prisoners who were detained in the U.S., one an intelligence officer who was serving a 20-year sentence, no longer on the Bureau of Prisons database.

The longest sentence served was by Swidan, a Texas resident who was not initially charged with a crime but was held in a southern Chinese prison since 2012. Swidan was then handed a suspended death sentence after he was convicted of a drug case.

Chinese-born U.S. citizen Kai Li, a New York businessman, was detained in 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was accused of espionage. John Leung, a U.S. passport holder, was also convicted of espionage in 2023.

The Foley Foundation’s 2024 Hostage Report, states there are at least 11 American citizens being unlawfully detained by Chinese authorities. They are serving sentences that range from eight to 18 years.

Overall, the report notes there are a total of 46 Americans currently being held hostage or wrongfully detained across 16 different nations, with 80% of all cases being wrongful detention, while 15% of all cases are hostage situations. China is one of the leading nations with the largest number of American detainees.

However, the report further acknowledged some human rights groups have estimated there could be up to 200 American citizens in various stages of prosecution in China. Exit bans, which prevent someone from leaving China without formal detention, have also been used continuously on American citizens.