US advice to travelers to mainland China changed from Level 3, "reconsider travel", to Level 2, "exercise increased caution".
The the advisory still warned that US citizens in China "may be subjected to interrogations and detention without fair and transparent treatment under the law".
The trimming of the warning level comes as:
- China has released United States citizens Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung, the White House said on Wednesday (Nov 27), concluding years of diplomacy over Americans that Washington says were wrongfully detained in China.
- The Biden administration also upgraded its travel advisory for China, a move long sought by Beijing that US officials have tied to China's detention of American nationals. The National Security Council said in a statement the three men's release meant all Americans it deemed wrongfully detained in China had now been released. "Soon they will return and be reunited with their families for the first time in many years," it said.
- Politico, which first reported the release, said a number of Chinese citizens detained in the US would also be released.
