WASHINGTON - Three Americans who were detained in China have been released in a prisoner swap with Beijing, the Biden administration said on Nov 27. One of the men had been an FBI informant, according to senior US officials.
Mr John Leung, Mr Kai Li and Mr Mark Swidan headed to the US on Nov 27 after months of diplomatic maneuvering to free them. Mr Leung and Mr Li had been held for three years and eight years, respectively. Mr Swidan was held for more than a decade.
In return, Washington released Mr Xu Yanjun, a Chinese intelligence officer serving a 20-year sentence after he was arrested in Brussels in 2018 and extradited to the United States in a dramatic FBI operation, according to two American officials.
The exchange has been in the works, under intense secrecy, for months. During a global summit in Peru earlier in November, President Joe Biden discussed a potential prisoner swap with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting at Mr Xi's hotel.
Hostage diplomacy has risen in recent years, as tensions between the US and both China and Russia have grown.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 29, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 29, 2024 من The Straits Times.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
TACKLE PLASTIC WASTE, ONE NAIL AT A TIME
Before global leaders take the problem of plastic pollution into their hands in November, Japanese manicurist Naomi Arimoto is putting it on her fingernails.
Unpacking Ireland's cultural and creative renaissance
From Sally Rooney's bestsellers to actor Paul Mescal, Ireland, which holds a general election on Nov 29, has been enjoying a cultural and creative renaissance.
Jung Ho-yeon and Lee Dong-hwi split
Squid Game (2021 to present) star Jung Ho-yeon has split from her actor-boyfriend Lee Dong-hwi after a nine-year relationship.
Dorothy's ruby slippers to go under the hammer
The ruby slippers worn by the late American actress Judy Garland in classic film The Wizard Of Oz (1939) will be sold at auction in December, nearly 20 years after they were stolen.
Artist Julie Mehretu opens solo Show in Sydney
Ethiopia-born New York artist Julie Mehretu (right), considered one of the most influential living painters, has opened her first solo show in the Southern Hemisphere in Sydney.
Wicked's renowned costume designer returns to Oz
Tony Award-winning designer Paul Tazewell first created costumes for The Wizard Of Oz in a high-school production
ULTIMATE SELF-CARE
'Tis the season to treat yourself at spas and salons, which have introduced a slew of treatments for head-to-toe pampering
Fifa using $67m legacy fund for social initiatives
LAUSANNE - Fifa launched a US$50 million (S$67 million) legacy fund for social programmes on Nov 27, in collaboration with 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar and the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
THE MARATHON BIKER GUY
Veteran Aussie has cycled over 50 courses in 12 years to ensure the route is 42.195km
Emery upbeat despite late drama against Juve
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
