WASHINGTON —
This week’s rare prisoner swap between the United States and China saw each side claim victory and accuse the other of wrongfully detaining its citizens, while Beijing has kept quiet about the identities of the returned Chinese.
China confirmed the repatriation of at least three Chinese nationals convicted of espionage and other crimes in the U.S. Among them was a person whom Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, speaking at a regular briefing Thursday, described as “a fugitive who fled to the U.S. many years ago.”
Some media reports indicated four people were returned to China. Mao did not name those who were returned and did not confirm a prisoner swap, or the release of any Americans detained in China.
But media reports, including one from the , cited unnamed U.S. government officials as saying three Americans were exchanged for three Chinese.
Although U.S. officials have not confirmed their identities, NBC News cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying the prisoner swap included Xu Yanjun, a Chinese intelligence officer sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to steal aviation trade secrets from GE Aviation. Records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons show that Xu's status is now listed as "not in federal custody."
NBC reported that those returned to China also included Ji Chaoqun, a naturalized U.S. citizen convicted in 2022 of providing classified defense information to Chinese intelligence.
The on Thursday reported the third Chinese released was Jin Shanlin, a former doctoral student at Southern Methodist University in northern Texas, who was for possessing and distributing child pornography, with his sentence set to end in 2027. Records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons also show Jin’s status as "not in federal custody."
Jin's case has sparked controversy because of his crime and his family's alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The FBI testified that his family had "important political connections," reported in 2022, raising questions about why he was chosen for the exchange over other Chinese nationals in U.S. custody.
The White House National Security Council said Wednesday in a statement that it had secured the release of it said were “wrongfully detained” in China, although it did not confirm a prisoner swap. Their detentions had drawn international condemnation.
Swidan, a Texas businessman, was arrested in 2012 in Dongguan. Despite a lack of direct evidence — no drugs or incriminating records were ever found — he was sentenced to death for drug trafficking but granted a reprieve in 2019. His mother, Katherine Swidan, led a tireless campaign for his release. “I feared I would never see my son again,” she told VOA, recounting his years in a Guangdong prison marked by overcrowding, intense heat and deteriorating health.
Li, a Chinese American businessman, was arrested in 2016 in Shanghai on charges of stealing state secrets. His family has consistently denied the allegations, calling his 10-year sentence politically motivated. “We thank President [Joe] Biden for prioritizing my father’s case,” said his son, Harrison Li. “But we also urge the administration to stand firm against such detentions in the future.”
Leung, 79, a Hong Kong-based American citizen, was arrested in 2021 on espionage charges. His case saw minimal public advocacy, and his family remained largely silent throughout his detention.
John Kamm, founder of the San Francisco-based rights group Dui Hua, meaning “dialogue” in Chinese, said his organization played a role in the prisoner swap in negotiations that took years to complete.
“We submitted 54 lists with Mark Swidan’s name to the Chinese government and received 10 responses,” Kamm told VOA Mandarin Serevice. “The process was arduous but ultimately effective.”
A spokesperson for the National Security Council hailed the release of the three Americans as a significant diplomatic achievement for Biden, emphasizing that all Americans classified as “wrongfully detained Americans” in China have now been brought home.
While the move brought relief to the families of the freed Americans, it has sparked concerns about its implications for U.S.-China relations and the growing trend of “hostage diplomacy.”
Kamm cautioned against declaring the issue resolved. “There are at least 200 American citizens under coercive measures in China. Many face exit bans or detentions with little transparency,” he said.