Beijing Frees Long-Detained US Citizen
California resident David Lin has been released after serving 18 years in prison.
TroibNews 
David Lin, a 68-year-old resident of Orange County, has been released from prison by the Chinese government after serving a life sentence since 2006 for charges deemed by the U.S. government to be baseless allegations of contract fraud.
Alice Lin, Lin's daughter, informed PMG that the State Department reached out on Saturday to confirm her father's release, stating he would arrive in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday. “No words can express the joy we have — we have a lot of time to make up for,” she remarked while en route to the airport to reunite with her father.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council, who was not authorized to speak publicly about Lin's case, mentioned that the Biden administration welcomed the news of his release. Lin "now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years," the spokesperson said in a statement. The Chinese embassy has not responded to inquiries about the situation.
Lin's release, being one of three U.S. citizens the State Department views as unfairly imprisoned in China, signifies a notable advancement in addressing a long-standing strain in U.S.-China relations that has resisted resolution for numerous years. The timing of this release is particularly significant, coming just weeks after national security adviser Jake Sullivan held discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, suggesting that those talks were pivotal in facilitating Lin's return. “I know that Jake Sullivan did raise my dad’s case,” Lin said.
During a visit to China in October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had pressed for Lin’s release, but he returned with the information that Lin would continue to serve his sentence “through April 2029.”
Lin's return on Sunday is a product of years of dedicated diplomacy from the State Department's Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, alongside efforts from the Dui Hua Foundation, a California-based nonprofit organization that advocates for prisoner release. "I have told the Chinese government over and over that if you want to improve relations with the United States, release American prisoners — I think they got the message," commented Dui Hua founder John Kamm.
This release happens just before a congressional hearing in Washington focusing on U.S. citizens detained in China without justification, raising hopes that discussions are ongoing to secure the freedom of the other two Americans, Mark Swidan and Kai Li, whom the State Department also classifies as unjustly imprisoned.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Alice Lin, Lin's daughter, informed PMG that the State Department reached out on Saturday to confirm her father's release, stating he would arrive in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday. “No words can express the joy we have — we have a lot of time to make up for,” she remarked while en route to the airport to reunite with her father.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council, who was not authorized to speak publicly about Lin's case, mentioned that the Biden administration welcomed the news of his release. Lin "now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years," the spokesperson said in a statement. The Chinese embassy has not responded to inquiries about the situation.
Lin's release, being one of three U.S. citizens the State Department views as unfairly imprisoned in China, signifies a notable advancement in addressing a long-standing strain in U.S.-China relations that has resisted resolution for numerous years. The timing of this release is particularly significant, coming just weeks after national security adviser Jake Sullivan held discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, suggesting that those talks were pivotal in facilitating Lin's return. “I know that Jake Sullivan did raise my dad’s case,” Lin said.
During a visit to China in October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had pressed for Lin’s release, but he returned with the information that Lin would continue to serve his sentence “through April 2029.”
Lin's return on Sunday is a product of years of dedicated diplomacy from the State Department's Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, alongside efforts from the Dui Hua Foundation, a California-based nonprofit organization that advocates for prisoner release. "I have told the Chinese government over and over that if you want to improve relations with the United States, release American prisoners — I think they got the message," commented Dui Hua founder John Kamm.
This release happens just before a congressional hearing in Washington focusing on U.S. citizens detained in China without justification, raising hopes that discussions are ongoing to secure the freedom of the other two Americans, Mark Swidan and Kai Li, whom the State Department also classifies as unjustly imprisoned.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
