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. "Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years," the spokesperson said in a statement.

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

Three Americans who had been detained in China for years have been released in a prisoner swap between Washington and Beijing.