China has freed three&nbsp;Americans&nbsp;considered wrongfully detained in a swap with the United States, US officials said Wednesday, meeting a key goal of outgoing President Joe Biden's administration.

The three&nbsp;Americans&nbsp;–&nbsp;Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung –&nbsp;were the last prisoners in China classified by the State Department as wrongfully detained, although activists and families have raised the cases of other US citizens.

"Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years," a State Department spokesperson said on the eve of Thanksgiving, the American holiday associated with family reunions.

"Thanks to this administration's efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained&nbsp;Americans&nbsp;in the PRC are home," the spokesperson said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

A source close to the matter said that the three were being freed in a swap with Beijing for three Chinese nationals in US custody who were not identified.

Swidan was detained in late 2012 on a business trip to China on drug charges. His family and supporters say there was never any evidence he had drugs and that his driver and translator had blamed him.

In his early time in detention, Swidan was deprived of sleep and food and lost more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms), according to Dui Hua, a group that supports prisoners in China.

Swidan's mother Katherine, who lives in Texas, addressed a congressional hearing in September and accused the Biden administration of ignoring his plight.&nbsp;

"Our loved ones are not bargaining chips or political pawns; they are human beings whose rights and freedoms must be upheld and protected," she said.

Kai Li, a naturalized American born in Shanghai who ran a business exporting aircraft technology, was detained in 2016 and convicted of espionage for allegedly sending state secrets to US authorities.&nbsp;

He says he was sharing information routinely available on the internet as part of routine compliance with US export regulations.&nbsp;

Leung, a US citizen in his late 70s with permanent residency in Hong Kong, was also convicted of espionage. China said little about his case when he was first detained in 2021 but later accused him of spying on Chinese officials on behalf of the United States.

<h2>Engagement with China</h2>

In September, the United States secured the release of another American considered wrongfully detained -- David Lin, a pastor who had been jailed since 2006.

US officials later acknowledged that the release was part of a swap for a Chinese national following quiet diplomacy.

The approach is in sharp contrast to prisoner exchanges with Russia, in which Biden and President Vladimir Putin have personally greeted returning citizens at the airport.

The US prisoners in China have drawn comparatively less attention, although US lawmakers have been repeatedly raised their cases and the Biden administration insisted they remained a priority.

With the latest three, the outgoing administration has secured the release of more than 70 unjustly detained&nbsp;Americans&nbsp;around the world, officials said.

Biden most recently raised the prisoners' case personally with President Xi Jinping during their final meeting this month on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru, officials said.

Observers say that China has sought to show that, if the United States engages, it is willing to work constructively on certain areas of concern.

The Biden administration also says that China has taken action against producers of the precursor chemicals to fentanyl, the synthetic painkiller behind an overdose pandemic in the United States that has begun to decline.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed a more confrontational approach and said on social media this week that he would immediately impose big tariffs on products from China, as well as US neighbours Mexico and Canada.

Both the Biden and Trump teams have described China as the most significant long-term adversary of the United States, but Biden has also emphasized the value of engagement.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

China has freed three Americans considered wrongfully detained in a swap with the United States, US officials said Wednesday, meeting a key goal of outgoing President Joe Biden's administration.

China has freed three Americans considered wrongfully detained in a swap with the United States, US officials said Wednesday, meeting a key goal of outgoing President Joe Biden's administration. The three Americans – Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung – were the last prisoners in China classified by the State Department as wrongfully detained, although activists and families have raised the cases of other US citizens. "Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years," a State Department spokesperson said on the eve of Thanksgiving, the American holiday associated with family reunions. "Thanks to this administration's efforts and diplomacy with the PRC, all of the wrongfully detained Americans in the PRC are home," the spokesperson said, referring to the People's Republic of China. A source close to the matter said that the three were being freed in a swap with Beijing for three Chinese nationals in US custody who were not identified. Swidan was detained in late 2012 on a business trip to China on drug charges. His family and supporters say there was never any evidence he had drugs and that his driver and translator had blamed him. In his early time in detention, Swidan was deprived of sleep and food and lost more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms), according to Dui Hua, a group that supports prisoners in China. Swidan's mother Katherine, who lives in Texas, addressed a congressional hearing in September and accused the Biden administration of ignoring his plight. "Our loved ones are not bargaining chips or political pawns; they are human beings whose rights and freedoms must be upheld and protected," she said. Kai Li, a naturalized American born in Shanghai who ran a business exporting aircraft technology, was detained in 2016 and convicted of espionage for allegedly sending state secrets to US authorities. He says he was sharing information routinely available on the internet as part of routine compliance with US export regulations. Leung, a US citizen in his late 70s with permanent residency in Hong Kong, was also convicted of espionage. China said little about his case when he was first detained in 2021 but later accused him of spying on Chinese officials on behalf of the United States. Engagement with China In September, the United States secured the release of another American considered wrongfully detained -- David Lin, a pastor who had been jailed since 2006. US officials later acknowledged that the release was part of a swap for a Chinese national following quiet diplomacy. The approach is in sharp contrast to prisoner exchanges with Russia, in which Biden and President Vladimir Putin have personally greeted returning citizens at the airport. The US prisoners in China have drawn comparatively less attention, although US lawmakers have been repeatedly raised their cases and the Biden administration insisted they remained a priority. With the latest three, the outgoing administration has secured the release of more than 70 unjustly detained Americans around the world, officials said. Biden most recently raised the prisoners' case personally with President Xi Jinping during their final meeting this month on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru, officials said. Observers say that China has sought to show that, if the United States engages, it is willing to work constructively on certain areas of concern. The Biden administration also says that China has taken action against producers of the precursor chemicals to fentanyl, the synthetic painkiller behind an overdose pandemic in the United States that has begun to decline. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed a more confrontational approach and said on social media this week that he would immediately impose big tariffs on products from China, as well as US neighbours Mexico and Canada. Both the Biden and Trump teams have described China as the most significant long-term adversary of the United States, but Biden has also emphasized the value of engagement. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Three Americans released in rare prisoner swap deal with China

The United States of America may restrict the operations of Chinese Media after putting ban on Chinese airlines. Watch this video to get complete details.

US to restrict Chinese Media operations after putting ban on Chinese airlines

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in&nbsp;China&nbsp;in 2019 grew the most in two years, though outbound investment declined amid continuing capital controls.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-confirms-person-to-person-spread-of-the-new-virus-as-fourth-death-reported-275590">China confirms person-to-person spread of the new virus as fourth death reported</a>

FDI was up 5.8 per cent&nbsp;year-on-year to 941.5 billion yuan ($136.71 billion) last year, the commerce ministry said on Tuesday, the biggest rise since 2017 when it grew 7.9 per cent&nbsp;in yuan terms.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/xi-jinping-bolsters-relationship-with-myanmar-what-does-this-mean-for-india-275031">Xi Jinping bolsters relationship with Myanmar, what does this mean for India?</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../china-four-people-killed-due-to-deadly- coronavirus-275596">China</a>&nbsp;remained the second-largest recipient of FDI globally, said Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming at a news briefing on Tuesday in Beijing.

China's outbound direct investment (ODI) declined 8.2 per cent&nbsp;to $110.6 billion in 2019, said Qian.

The structure of ODI is more "balanced" with most flows to rental and commercial services, manufacturing, distribution and retail, he said.

China's non-financial ODI rose just 0.3 per cent&nbsp;in 2018 having dropped sharply in 2017 as authorities kept a tight grip on outflows for what they termed "irrational" overseas projects.

Qian said $15 billion of investment accounting for 13.6 per cent&nbsp;of the total flowed to countries that are along the Belt and Road,&nbsp;China's ambitious plan to build a modern version of the Silk Road to link&nbsp;China&nbsp;with Asia, Europe and beyond through large-scale infrastructure projects.

Investment by Chinese firms was once a significant driver of global asset prices from property to mergers and acquisitions. But it has fallen sharply since Beijing tightened capital controls in 2016.

In yuan terms,&nbsp;China's total ODI declined 6 per cent&nbsp;to 807.95 billion yuan in 2019.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in China in 2019 grew the most in two years, though outbound investment declined amid continuing capital controls. Also read: China confirms person-to-person spread of the new virus as fourth death reported FDI was up 5.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in China in 2019 grew the most in two years, though outbound investment declined amid continuing capital controls. Also read: China confirms person-to-person spread of the new virus as fourth death reported FDI was up 5.8 per cent year-on-year to 941.5 billion yuan ($136.71 billion) last year, the commerce ministry said on Tuesday, the biggest rise since 2017 when it grew 7.9 per cent in yuan terms. Also read: Xi Jinping bolsters relationship with Myanmar, what does this mean for India? China remained the second-largest recipient of FDI globally, said Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming at a news briefing on Tuesday in Beijing. China's outbound direct investment (ODI) declined 8.2 per cent to $110.6 billion in 2019, said Qian. The structure of ODI is more "balanced" with most flows to rental and commercial services, manufacturing, distribution and retail, he said. China's non-financial ODI rose just 0.3 per cent in 2018 having dropped sharply in 2017 as authorities kept a tight grip on outflows for what they termed "irrational" overseas projects. Qian said $15 billion of investment accounting for 13.6 per cent of the total flowed to countries that are along the Belt and Road, China's ambitious plan to build a modern version of the Silk Road to link China with Asia, Europe and beyond through large-scale infrastructure projects. Investment by Chinese firms was once a significant driver of global asset prices from property to mergers and acquisitions. But it has fallen sharply since Beijing tightened capital controls in 2016. In yuan terms, China's total ODI declined 6 per cent to 807.95 billion yuan in 2019.

China's 2019 FDI up 5.8 per cent, outbound investment slumps

President Donald Trump has signed off on an initial trade agreement with China that would avoid imminent US tariffs and reduce the rates of existing duties in exchange for a Chinese promise to purchase American farm goods.

WION Dispatch: US-China reach 'phase one' trade deal

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Three Americans released in rare prisoner swap deal with China

US to restrict Chinese Media operations after putting ban on Chinese airlines

China's 2019 FDI up 5.8 per cent, outbound investment slumps

WION Dispatch: US-China reach 'phase one' trade deal