Chinese authorities have released three US citizens who Washington said were wrongfully detained in China. Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung were released after intensive talks between White House and State Department officials and their Chinese counterparts.

The plight of Americans facing exit bans in China show the enduring risks of getting caught in the country’s murky legal system.

Three American citizens imprisoned for years by China arrived back in the United States late Wednesday. Their release, announced earlier by the White House, was the result of a rare diplomatic agreement with Beijing in the final months of the Biden administration.