Three Americans finally walk free from Chinese prisons after years behind bars
Three US citizens detained in China for up to 12 years have been freed following high-level talks. The release comes after Bidenʼs recent meeting with Xi Jinping and marks a shift in US-China relations
In a major break-through‚ China has set free Mark Swidan‚ Kai Li and John Leung - three Americans who spent years in Chinese prisons (some facing harsh sentences like death-penalty with reprieve)
The release happened after President Biden met with Xi Jinping in Peru this month; their face-to-face talk focused on easing US-China relations and addressing long-standing issues. The White House confirmed that all Americans they considered wrong-fully held in China are now out
Each ex-prisoner faced different charges: Swidan got caught in drug-related case about 12 years ago Li spent around 8 years fighting spy charges he always denied and Leung got life sentence just last year. Their families kept pushing for release while dealing with Chinaʼs strict legal system
The US State Department changed its China travel warning from level-3 to level-2 right after the release - a move Beijing wanted for long time. Still Americans need to be extra-careful: the advisory points out that visitors might face questioning without fair treatment
Earlier this fall pastor David Lin also got out after being locked up since mid-2000s. Sources say some Chinese citizens in US custody might get released too but officials dont confirm any swap deals
