The US government has announced that three Americans have been released from detention in China.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said on Wednesday that the three individuals will soon return and be reunited with their families.
US media reports say the three had been charged with espionage or drug-related crimes, and had been sentenced, respectively, to 10 years in prison, life in prison and death.
The US government has not disclosed details of the deal with China, but The New York Times reports the Americans were freed in exchange for a Chinese intelligence officer who was serving a 20-year prison term in the US.
The White House says US President Joe Biden pressed for the return of wrongfully detained Americans when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month in Peru, on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also pushed for their release when he met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York in September.
The White House spokesperson stressed that the Americans are home “thanks to this administration’s efforts and diplomacy” with China.
Source: politics.einnews.com…
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