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The United States and China have completed a rare prisoner swap, exchanging three Americans detained in China for three Chinese nationals held in the US.

What’s the deal: In an announcement by the White House, the United States confirmed the release of three Americans detained in China—Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung. In return, China received three of its citizens from US custody: Xu Yanjun, a convicted Chinese intelligence officer; Ji Chaoqun, found guilty of passing defense information to Chinese intelligence; and Jin Shanlin, a former doctoral student convicted on charges of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Digging into the three people China received:
Xu Yanjun: A senior Chinese intelligence officer, was convicted in the United States for attempting to steal trade secrets related to aviation technology from GE Aviation and other companies. He was apprehended in Belgium in 2018 and later extradited to the US. Prosecutors presented evidence that Xu had coordinated efforts to recruit employees at US aviation companies, convincing them to travel to China under the pretense of attending conferences. In 2021, Xu was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in economic espionage and attempting to unlawfully obtain sensitive corporate information critical to US national security.

Ji Chaoqun: A naturalized US citizen originally from China, was convicted in 2022 for acting as an unregistered agent of Chinese intelligence. He was accused of collecting classified information on US defense contractors and individuals of interest to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). Ji, who came to the US on a student visa, worked to identify potential recruits for Chinese intelligence among naturalized citizens working in the science and technology sectors. Evidence presented at trial included his communications with Chinese officials and his acknowledgment of acting under their direction.

Jin Shanlin: A former doctoral student at Southern Methodist University in Texas, was sentenced in 2021 for possessing and distributing child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Prisons records revealed that Jin’s sentence was set to end in 2027 before his release in the prisoner swap. The case became politically sensitive due to allegations of Jin’s family having significant ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Reports suggested these connections may have influenced his inclusion in the exchange, raising questions about the criteria for selecting individuals involved in such diplomatic agreements.

Digging into the three people the US received:
Mark Swidan: A Texas-based businessman, was arrested in 2012 in Dongguan, China, on charges of drug trafficking. Chinese authorities accused him of being part of an international drug operation, despite the absence of direct evidence linking him to the alleged crimes. No drugs, money, or incriminating documentation were ever found in his possession, and Swidan consistently maintained his innocence. In 2019, he was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, a sentence that drew international condemnation for its lack of transparency and due process. Human rights groups, including the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, called his imprisonment a violation of international law.

Kai Li: A Chinese American businessman, was arrested in Shanghai in 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of espionage and stealing state secrets. Chinese authorities accused Li, who had immigrated to the US and started an export business, of providing sensitive information to the FBI. His family denied the allegations, arguing that his arrest was politically motivated and part of China’s crackdown on dual nationals. Li’s detention drew criticism from human rights organizations and the UN, which labeled his imprisonment arbitrary.

John Leung: A 79-year-old American citizen and longtime resident of Hong Kong, was arrested in 2021 by Chinese authorities on espionage charges. Little was made public about the specific allegations against him.