China confirms return of 'wrongfully imprisoned' trio from US
By Matthew WALSH
Beijing (AFP) Nov 28, 2024

Beijing said Thursday that three of its nationals "wrongfully imprisoned" in the United States had returned to China, after US officials said they had negotiated the return of three Americans incarcerated there.

Washington said Wednesday that it had secured the return of the last prisoners in China classified by the State Department as wrongfully detained.

A source close to the matter said the arrangement was part of a swap deal with Beijing for three Chinese nationals in US custody who were not identified.

Beijing's foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday the return of three nationals from the US, without giving further details.

"Following unremitting efforts by the Chinese government, three Chinese nationals wrongfully imprisoned by the American side have now safely returned to the motherland," spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference in Beijing.

"This shows once again that China will never abandon its compatriots at any time, and that the motherland is always there as a strong backup force for them," Mao said.

She added that Beijing "consistently opposes the American side carrying out the suppression and persecution of Chinese nationals out of political aims, and will continue as ever to take necessary measures" to uphold their legal interests.

Mao said that the swap had also included the extradition back to China of a "fugitive who had absconded from justice for several years".

"This shows that nobody can escape from the long arm of the law, and that no place can become a permanent haven for criminals on the run," she said.

"The Chinese government will continue to develop its abilities to bring people to justice and pursue fugitives for as long as it takes."

- Subtle diplomacy -

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had spoken to the three Americans -- Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung -- "as they traveled home to the United States just in time for Thanksgiving," the American holiday associated with family reunions.

"I told them how glad I was that they were in good health and that they'll soon be reunited with their loved ones," Blinken said in a post on X.

Swidan was detained on drug charges in late 2012 during a business trip to China. His family and supporters say there was never any evidence he had drugs and that his driver and translator had blamed him.

Li, a naturalised American born in Shanghai who ran a business exporting aircraft technology, was detained in 2016 and convicted of espionage for allegedly sending state secrets to US authorities. He says he was sharing information as part of routine compliance with US export rules.

Leung, a US citizen in his late 70s with permanent residency in Hong Kong, was also convicted of espionage. China said little about his case when he was first detained in 2021, but later accused him of spying on Chinese officials on behalf of the US.

Washington has recently relied on subtle diplomacy to cut prisoner swap deals with Beijing, a contrast to the high-profile exchanges it has negotiated with Russia.

In September, the US secured the release of another American considered wrongfully detained -- David Lin, a pastor who had been jailed since 2006.

Activists and families maintain that more Americans remain wrongfully incarcerated in China than have recently appeared on the State Department's list.

Competition between China and the US is poised to heat up further when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

Trump has vowed to impose heavy tariffs on products from China, part of a more confrontational approach that Beijing has decried as of no use to either side.

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