3 Americans imprisoned in China for years are now free after agreement

Nov 27, 2024

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Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

Three Americans imprisoned in China for years have been released and are coming home to the United States. The White House announced on Wednesday, Nov. 27, the agreement between Washington, D.C., and Beijing in the final weeks of President Joe Biden’s presidency.

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The exchange is reportedly part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. releasing unidentified Chinese nationals, although the White House would not confirm those details.

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The United States says the freed Americans were wrongfully detained and one had been facing a death sentence on drug charges. The other two U.S. citizens were imprisoned for alleged espionage and one faced a life sentence.

The U.S. said the White House had brought up the release of the three Americans over the past several years, including earlier this month when Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Cooperation Summit in Peru.

The release of the three Americans comes just months after Beijing released a pastor from California who spent nearly two decades in prison after being convicted of contract fraud.

Relations between Beijing and Washington have been tense with China’s increasingly cozy relationship with Moscow, the ongoing dispute over Taiwan’s sovereignty, and back-and-forth accusations of spying.

Tags: California, China, Drugs, Joe Biden, One-China, People’s Republic of China, Prison, prisoner swap, Prisoners, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, South China Sea, Taiwan, Trade, United States, Washington DC, White House, Xi Jinping

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THREE AMERICANS IMPRISONED IN CHINA FOR YEARS HAVE BEEN RELEASED AND ARE COMING HOME TO THE U-S.

THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCING THE AGREEMENT WEDNESDAY BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND BEIJING IN THE FINAL WEEKS OF BIDEN’S PRESIDENCY.

THE EXCHANGE IS REPORTEDLY PART OF A PRISONER SWAP DEAL WITH THE U-S RELEASING UNIDENTIFIED CHINESE NATIONALS — THOUGH THE WHITE HOUSE WOULD NOT CONFIRM THOSE DETAILS.

THE U-S SAYS THE FREED AMERICANS WERE WRONGFULLY DETAINED AND ONE HAD BEEN FACING A DEATH SENTENCE ON DRUG CHARGES.

THE OTHER TWO U-S CITIZENS WERE IMPRISONED FOR ALLEGED ESPIONAGE AND ONE FACED A LIFE SENTENCE.

THE U-S SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE HAS BROUGHT UP THE RELEASE OF THE THREE AMERICANS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.

INCLUDING EARLIER THIS MONTH WHEN THE PRESIDENT MET WITH CHINESE LEADER XI JINPING AT THE ASIA-PACIFIC COOPERATION SUMMIT IN PERU.

RELATIONS BETWEEN BEIJING AND WASHINGTON HAVE BEEN TENSE — WITH CHINA’S INCREASINGLY COZY RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA, THE ONGOING DISPUTE OVER TAIWAN’S SOVEREIGNTY AND BACK-AND-FORTH ACCUSATIONS OF SPYING.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.