The White House on Thursday said three imprisoned Americans were released by China after being detained there for years.
A US official revealed that the Americans were released in exchange for unidentified Chinese citizens detained by Washington.
Who are the 3 Americans released by China?
A National Security Council representative said the three Americans released were Mark Swidan, John Leung and Kai Li. The trio will soon reunite with their families.
Swidan, 48, is a Texas businessman and has been in jail since 2012. He was charged with drug trafficking and was sentenced to death in 2019. However, he had denied charges and the State Department said he was wrongfully detained. His family was concerned about his health and feared he might kill himself in prison.
Leung, 78, was arrested in 2021 over espionge charges and sentenced to life in May 2023. He had led several pro-Beijing groups in the US.
Li, 60, was imprisoned since 2016. He suffered a stroke in jail. His son Harrison Li said the family "enthusiastically" welcomes the news as his father gets released after 3,000 days in jail.
Republican Sentator Ted Cruz praised the Joe Biden administration for securing the release of the three citizens. Swidan's mother Katherin Swidan hails from Cruz's home state Texas.
Now the US has reduced its travel advisory to Level 2, which warns Americans to exercise increased caution for mainland China.
Earlier, another American, David Lin, was released by China in September. The 68-year-old pastor was jailed for fraud 18 years ago. His release was kept under wraps in order to move the negotiations forward.
The Biden administration has secured the release of over 70 Americans from countries like Russia, Iran and Venezuela in the past four years.