Three Americans who had been detained in China for years have been released in a prisoner swap between Washington and Beijing. “We are pleased to announce the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung from detention in the People’s Republic of China,

Three American citizens who had been detained for years in China were released, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. They are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung.Li, 62, who is from Long Island,

China has released U.S. citizens Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung, ending years of diplomatic efforts to free the Americans deemed wrongfully detained. The move aligns with the Biden administration's ongoing negotiations to lower tensions with China and results in an updated travel advisory for Americans visiting China.

The United States and China conducted a prisoner exchange. It took place in a three-on-three format, Politico reports. According to Politico, China released Americans Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung in exchange for three unknown Chinese citizens.

In a statement to NPR, a State Department spokesperson said all the "wrongfully detained" Americans in China are now home.

The Americans were freed in exchange for a Chinese intelligence officer who was serving a 20-year sentence in the United States, officials said.

The exchange was reportedly months in the making, and included the release of at least one Chinese citizen in US custody.

China released three American detainees Wednesday after striking a deal for a prisoner exchange with the Biden administration.

Swidan, from Texas, was held since 2012 in a prison in southern China and was never charged until he was convicted in a drug case and ultimately handed a suspended death sentence.