US Returns 4 People to China in Prisoner Swap

China confirming Thursday that the U.S. returned four people to China in a prisoner swap. Three of them are Chinese citizens, including one convicted for possessing child pornography. The identity of the fourth person was not disclosed. Beijing freed three American citizens in the swap. They are Mark Sweden, Kai Li and John Leung. The State Department designated all three as wrongfully detained. On the Chinese side, one of the Chinese citizens in the swap is Jing Shanlin. He had pleaded guilty to possessing child porn three years ago. He also admitted to distributing over 600 images and videos of child pornography back when he was a Ph.D. student at Southern Methodist University in Texas. Police said Jing's computer had child pornography videos on it when authorities entered his home, adding that the videos involved infants and toddlers. Jing was originally supposed to be released in 2027. An FBI agent testified before that his family was connected to influential party officials in China. The other two Chinese citizens returned in the swap are Ji Chaochun and Shi Yanzhun. Ji attempted to collect information on defense technology for China's Ministry of State Security. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. She is a Chinese intelligence officer who tried to steal trade secrets from GE Aviation.