Three American citizens who had been detained in China for years have been released, Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports.
They are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, a State Department spokesperson said.
It comes after Politico earlier cited an unnamed US administration official as saying years-long attempts to free the trio had finally been successful, in exchange for unidentified Chinese citizens in US custody.
The agreement reportedly came as part of sensitive negotiations which are yet to be announced.
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“We are pleased to announce the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung from detention in the People’s Republic of China,” a State Department spokesperson said.
“Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years.
“Thanks to this administration’s efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans in the PRC are home.”
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Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said he had worked closely over the years with Li’s son, Harrison Li, “to speak directly to the highest levels of the Chinese and US governments to advocate for Mr Li’s release and safe return to his family”.
“Even when it felt like there was no hope, we never stopped believing that one day Mr Li would return home,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
For the families of all three freed Americans, “this Thanksgiving there is so much to be thankful for,” he added.
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It comes after the surprise release of US pastor David Lin in September. He had been in jail in China since 2006.
“We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China,” a State Department spokesperson said at the time of the release.
“He has returned to the United States and now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years.”
Washington had long insisted the three were wrongfully detained, but China said such cases were handled according to law.
