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

Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung have been released from detention, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.

Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China have been released, the White House said Wednesday. The three are Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung. "Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years," the White House said in a statement.

Americans Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung are en route back to the United States from imprisonment in China, the White House said.

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.

China has released U.S. citizens Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, the White House said on Wednesday, concluding years of diplomacy over Americans that Washington says were wrongfully detained in China.

Three American men held for years in Chinese prisons have been released in a holiday prisoner swap just in time for Thanksgiving.

Swidan was arrested and imprisoned in 2012 in China on allegations of drug trafficking and sentenced to death. Texans in Congress have advocated for Swidan’s release for years. Members of both parties have denounced the imprisonment as politically motivated.

A Houston man sentenced to death in a Chinese prison is set to be released after 12 years, the White House said Wednesday.