Washington: Jan, 18, 2014 (Himilo) – Katherine Swidan, whose son Mark was imprisoned in China for more than 10 years, has not even seen his picture in the last ten years. The last time she heard his voice was in 2018.
She and other American families, who the US government says are wrongfully detained in China, are hoping that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will push Chinese authorities to release their relatives when he visits Beijing next month.
“My message to Blinken is: say their names,” said Katherine Swidan in a phone interview from her home in Luling, Texas. “They are American citizens. They are unjustly imprisoned. Enough is enough.”
Mark Swidan, a Texas-based businessman, was convicted by a Chinese court on drug-related charges despite a lack of evidence and sentenced to death in 2019. A UN working group has concluded that he was illegally detained outside international law.
The Biden administration’s recent high-profile prisoner swaps, such as basketball star Brittney Griner’s release from Russia in exchange for a convicted Russian arms dealer, have sparked calls for Washington to do more for American citizens. held in China, some of whom suffered for a long time. ten years of small consular relations.
But the prisoner issue often gets lost in the broader complexities of US-China relations, which in recent years have sunk to their lowest level in decades.
And, unlike Griner, American citizens detained in China are not well known to the American public.
Families of imprisoned Americans say the freedom of their relatives should not be entwined in complex political issues, and instead should be approached in a unique way that focuses on humanitarian issues.
“This cannot be treated as a long-term political exercise,” said Harrison Li, the son of Chinese-American Kai Li who has been in China since 2016.
“Dad, it’s not a hard political issue. It’s a very clear cut and dried issue of an innocent American citizen being used by the Chinese government to produce something,” Li said.
A court in China sentenced the father to 10 years in prison in 2018, after being accused of espionage. Kai Li denied the allegations.
There have been talks in recent months, Li said, between Washington and Beijing about American ties to China but they have gone nowhere. “That’s why it’s important that Secretary Blinken use his upcoming trip next month to pursue this issue and continue negotiations.”
AN OPPORTUNITY?
Senior officials in the Biden administration, including Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink during a December visit to China, told his Chinese counterpart that securing the release of US citizens wrongfully detained or subject to an exit ban from China is a special privilege of the president of the United States. On the same subject : The United States is introducing COVID testing requirements for travelers….
Although President Joe Biden raised the issue when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November, he did not mention the specific names of the Americans who were arrested, according to sources familiar with their discussions.
One of the people familiar with Blinken’s travel plans to China said the top US diplomat wants to raise the names of high-profile prisoners, including Mark Swidan, Kai Li and David Lin – an American pastor who was imprisoned. China since 2006 – as well as others. during a conversation.
The State Department declined to provide details of “ongoing diplomatic discussions” when asked about efforts to secure the release of the detainees, but a department spokesman told Reuters that Blinken was “personally focused and prioritizing return of US citizens wrongfully detained” in China.
The U.S. has not released an official number of citizens detained abroad, but the Dui Hua Foundation, a non-profit organization that advocates for the release of political prisoners in China, estimates that there are more in China alone. 200 Americans wrongfully imprisoned. or face coercive measures, such as an exit ban.
John Kamm, the chairman of Dui Hua, believes that China is willing to give up the prisoners for the sake of public relations with the United States.
Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last year soured bilateral relations, but US officials have said they believe China wants to stabilize relations as it faces domestic economic headwinds and cases of COVID-19. 19.
“The place where China can make compromises to improve relations – which is what they say they want to do – is the release of prisoners,” Kamm said.
“We have an opportunity. I hope that will be pushed harder and harder.”
Editing by Don Durfee and Himani Sarkar
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
What are the richest country in Europe?
What is the poorest country in Europe?
What is richest country in Europe 2022?
Luxembourg is the richest country in the European Union, per capita, and its citizens enjoy a high standard of living. This may interest you : US Warship Navigates Taiwan Strait, Angers China. It is a major center for private banking, and its financial sector is the largest contributor to its economy.
Which country is no 1 rich country?
| Rank | The country | Adjusted GDP/capita |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luxembourg | $132,675 |
| 2 | Singapore | $116,486 |
| 3 | Ireland | $107,551 |
| 4 | Qatar | $102,018 |
What happens to criminals in China?
Article 33 The basic punishments are as follows: (1) Public protection; (2) Criminal imprisonment; (3) imprisonment for a fixed term; (4) life imprisonment; and (5) the death penalty. On the same subject : Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan, Taiwanese and US officials said. Article 34 Additional penalties are as follows: (1) Fine; (2) deprivation of political rights; and (3) foreclosure.
What if you are caught stealing in China? If someone steals something in China, he/she can be sentenced to public custody as the minimum penalty or life imprisonment as the maximum penalty, depending on the severity of the crime he/she commits.
How many Americans live in China?
Chinese Americans (Chinese: å¨è ¯¾å人; Pinyin: zài huá mÄiguó rén) are expatriates and immigrants from the United States as well as their native-born descendants. Estimates range from 72,000 (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) to 110,000.
How many foreigners live in China? According to the preliminary results of the 2020 Chinese National Census, there were 845,697 foreigners and an additional 584,998 residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan – 1,430,695 immigrants).
Where do most foreigners live in China?
Foreigners living and working in China are mostly found in international cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
How many Americans live in Japan?
| Attribute | The North American people of Japan |
|---|---|
| – | – |
