The State Department announced the release of Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung. A U.S. government official told NBC News the three were exchanged for two Chinese detainees.

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

Americans Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung would soon be reunited with their families in the United States after years in prison in China, the White House said.