**Three Americans Released from Chinese Detention Arrive Back in the U.S. Following Prisoner Swap**

In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, three Americans detained in China for years on charges that U.S. officials and international organizations deemed arbitrary and unlawful have returned to U.S. soil. Their release comes as part of a carefully negotiated prisoner swap between the U.S. and China. The freed Americans, Mark Swidan of Houston, Texas, Kai Li of Long Island, New York, and John Leung, a permanent resident of Hong Kong, will soon be reunited with their families, according to the U.S. State Department.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed his conversation with Li, Leung, and Swidan during their journey back to America. Blinken shared his relief on social media, applauding their good health and impending reunification with their loved ones.

Although the State Department provided limited details on the swap agreement, it was revealed by a senior official involved in the negotiations that three Chinese nationals were exchanged for the release of the Americans. Furthermore, China lifted an exit ban on another American, allowing them to leave the country as part of the deal.

The families of the released detainees shared their joy and relief on social media. Katherine Swidan, the mother of Mark Swidan, posted a heartfelt image of her son donning a U.S. flag-emboldened sweatshirt alongside U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns and Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens. “My son Free at Last,” she triumphantly noted. Similarly, Harrison Li, Kai Li's son, expressed his gratitude on social media, thanking President Joe Biden and others who facilitated their return.

The three Americans faced different charges during their years of detention. Mark Swidan, 49, was arrested in 2012 while on a business trip to China and was later convicted on dubious drug manufacturing charges, receiving a death sentence in April 2019. Kai Li, 62, was detained in September 2016 during a visit to Shanghai and sentenced to 10 years for supposedly furnishing state secrets to the FBI, which his family argued were routine business communications. John Leung, 78, was arrested in April 2021 and sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of espionage in May 2023.

This successful negotiation comes a mere two months after Pastor David Lin's release from Chinese detention, where he spent nearly two decades. The negotiation efforts included persistent dialogues and a direct appeal from President Joe Biden to President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Peru earlier this month.

Among the Chinese nationals freed in the swap were Yanjun Xu, convicted three years ago of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets and serving a 20-year sentence, and Ji Chaoqun, convicted in 2022 on charges related to conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government and other offenses, serving an 8-year sentence.

This exchange marks a significant moment in U.S.-China relations, highlighting the intricate and often strained diplomatic engagements necessary to resolve such complex international issues.