SAN ANTONIO — Mark Swidan, a Texan who spent years detained in China, has been released and is expected to arrive at Kelly Field. Swidan, who was arrested in 20
SAN ANTONIO — Mark Swidan, a Texan who spent years detained in China, arrived at Kelly Field Wednesday night. He is one of three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released and returned to the United States, the White House said Wednesday, announcing a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration.
The Chinese government also announced Thursday that the U.S. had returned four people to China, including at least three Chinese citizens who it said had been held for "political purposes," and a person who had been sought by Beijing for crimes and had been living in the United States. It did not identify the four.
U.S.-China relations have been roiled for years over major disagreements between the world's two largest economies on trade, human rights, the production of fentanyl precursors, security issues that include espionage and hacking, China's aggressiveness toward Taiwan and its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea, and Beijing's support for Russia's military-industrial sector.
In a separate but related move, the State Department on Wednesday lowered its travel warning to China to "level two," advising U.S. citizens to "exercise increased caution" from the norm when traveling to the mainland. The alert had previously been at "level three," telling Americans they should "reconsider travel" to China in part because of the "risk of wrongful detention" of Americans.
However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced in Beijing on Thursday that "three Chinese citizens have returned to the motherland safe and sound." Senators from both U.S. political parties praised the release of the Americans. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said he was "overjoyed" — Swidan's mother lives in Texas — and credited senior Biden administration officials with having "worked tirelessly to secure this achievement."
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