Ocean County Leader

Rep. Chris Smith, Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has expressed his satisfaction following the release of three Americans from detention in China. The individuals, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung, were wrongfully detained according to Smith.

"We are overjoyed that Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung are finally being released from their wrongful detention in China and that their family members—including those who shared testimony at the congressional hearing I chaired in September—received the news in time for Thanksgiving," said Smith.

Despite celebrating this development, Smith highlighted that other Americans remain detained in Chinese prisons. He mentioned Nelson Wells and Dawn Hunt as examples of those still imprisoned. Their families also testified at a hearing he chaired titled 'Bringing Home Americans Detained in China.'

Smith pointed out concerns regarding China's legal system under Xi Jinping's leadership. "Tragically, they and many others remain wrongfully detained in Xi Jinping’s Communist China, where there is no adequate due process of law," he noted.

The congressman called for action on behalf of individuals like Ekpar Asat and Gulshan Abbas. Asat was arrested after participating in a U.S. State Department program while Abbas has ties to Radio Free Asia through her sister.

Smith urged President Trump to prioritize these cases: "We appeal to President Trump to make their release a priority as we know he will be a tough advocate for American interests vis-à-vis China and for American citizens held captive by the Chinese Communist Party."