Blinken's China Visit: Raising Detained Americans and Facing a Cold Shoulder.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will raise the cases of wrongfully detained Americans, including Mark Swidan, a Texas businessman on death row in China since 2012, during his visit to China. Swidan's passport shows he was not even in China during the time of the alleged offenses. Two other Americans, David Lin and Kai Li, are also wrongfully detained in China. Negotiating prisoner releases or exchanges with China has proved challenging for the US. Republican lawmakers Ted Cruz and Michael Cloud have urged Blinken to secure Swidan's release.