Lawmakers from both parties are pressing President Joe Biden to use his last months in office to secure the release of "Americans wrongfully detained" in China.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., co-chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, sent a letter to Biden on Friday urging a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discusee the release of American prisoners.
Presenting statistics from the Foley Foundation, the letter showed the number of Americans unjustly detained internationally decreased by 42% in the past year thanks to his administration's efforts in "negotiated prisoner releases with Russia, Iran and Venezuela."
"American citizens are serving long prison terms in China; most were sentenced with acute due process irregularities or on spurious charges," they wrote.
"Many are severely mistreated in detention and have developed serious physical and mental health problems due to a lack of adequate nutrition or medical care in Chinese prisons. They deserve tenacious advocacy to gain their release."
The lawmakers noted that the average American detained in China serves 12 years in prison. "This must change," they added.
"While we have not named them all, these cases represent many others who require immediate and sustained attention to be transferred out of Chinese prisons and brought home to the United States," read the letter.
In addition to Americans Kai Li and Mark Swidan, both formally designated as "wrongfully detained" by the U.S. government, Smith and Merkley urged more focused diplomatic action to gain the release of Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt, "neither who received a fair and transparent trial" and both now "face life-threatening health conditions that Chinese authorities cannot or will not properly address."
In September, David Lin, a Christian pastor from California was freed from China after almost 20 years in captivity.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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