europeantimes
The top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the US has warned that “hostage diplomacy” is becoming more prevalent, following the release of an American citizen and pastor by the Chinese regime after nearly two decades in detention.
On Sept. 15, the US State Department announced that David Lin, who was arrested during a missionary trip to China in 2006, has returned to the United States. Lin, now 68, was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 on charges of contract fraud, which Washington considers to be wrongful.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) stated in a Sept. 15 post on X (formerly Twitter), “I am extremely glad to hear David Lin was freed from his 17-year-long wrongful imprisonment by the CCP [Chinese Communist Party].”
“His capture, like so many others, marks a rising trend of hostage diplomacy by authoritarians around the world. However, Kai Li and Texan Mark Swidan still remain CCP prisoners—and must be freed now,” Michael McCaul added in the post.
In recent years, a troubling trend has emerged in international relations: the rise of “hostage diplomacy,” particularly by the Chinese government.
This strategy involves detaining foreign nationals—often under dubious charges—as a means to exert leverage over their home countries.
With high-profile cases of Western citizens being arrested, this form of diplomatic bargaining is raising concerns about China’s growing willingness to use individuals as pawns in geopolitical disputes.
The term “hostage diplomacy” refers to the detention of foreign nationals by governments to extract political or economic concessions.
This tactic is gaining prominence as nations use it to influence global negotiations or pressure foreign governments into policy changes.
In the case of China, it has been used with increasing frequency as a tool to manage tensions and disputes with Western powers, particularly the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The release of Pastor David Lin, after sustained diplomatic efforts by the U.S., underscores the ongoing issue of foreign nationals being used as bargaining chips by the Chinese regime.
Lin’s case has renewed global attention on the regime’s practice of detaining foreign nationals under questionable circumstances.
His prolonged detention, despite U.S. protests, reflects the challenging and often opaque nature of the Chinese legal system, where due process and transparency are frequently lacking in politically sensitive cases.
According to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), this is not the first time Beijing has used its judicial system to arrest or detain foreigners in order to exert political leverage. One of the most notable examples of China’s hostage diplomacy practices is the case of the “Two Michaels”—Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—who were detained in China for over 1,000 days.
Their arrests in December 2018 were widely seen as retaliation for Canada’s detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was being held at the request of the U.S. on charges related to sanctions violations. After years of legal wrangling and international pressure, the two men were released in September 2021, almost immediately following Meng’s release by Canadian authorities.
About a month before the “Two Michaels” were released, Michael McCaul wrote on X that the two Canadians “have done nothing wrong.”“The CCP’s hostage diplomacy is the behavior of a rogue state, not a global leader.” the lawmaker’s X post read.
Swidan, a Texas businessman who has been detained in China since 2012, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in 2019 on alleged drug-related charges, according to the U.S. State Department. His appeal was rejected, and the ruling was upheld by a Chinese court in April last year.
Similarly, Kai Li has been imprisoned in China since September 2016.
He was sentenced to 10 years in 2018 on espionage charges, which his family claims are “politically motivated.”
On Sept. 15, the website Free Kai Li, which advocates for Li’s release, urged the Biden administration to intervene and secure his freedom.
“Welcome home, David Lin. We are thrilled to see [President Joe Biden’s] leadership in finally bringing home an American citizen from China,” an X post reads. “Now we need him to #FinishTheJob to bring Kai home too—before another admin change resets the bilateral relationship,” the post added.
China’s practice of hostage diplomacy presents a significant challenge for foreign governments, particularly those seeking to maintain stable relations with Beijing while protecting their citizens abroad. The arbitrary nature of these detentions creates an atmosphere of uncertainty, especially for foreign businesses, academics, and NGOs operating in China.
The fear of being detained for political purposes has led many to reconsider their presence in the country, adding to the already tense diplomatic and economic relationship between China and the West.
Additionally, hostage diplomacy undermines China’s efforts to project itself as a responsible global power.
While Beijing has long been sensitive to criticism of its human rights record, the increasing use of hostage diplomacy further erodes its international image, straining its relations with key trading partners and diplomatic allies.The rise of Chinese hostage diplomacy has prompted Western nations to take a harder line in their dealings with Beijing.
The U.S. and its allies have raised concerns about these detentions in international forums, calling for the release of their citizens and imposing sanctions on Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses. Additionally, countries are increasingly warning their citizens of the risks associated with travel to China, especially in politically sensitive industries or sectors.
In response to cases like David Lin’s, lawmakers in the U.S. have urged stronger action to address the broader trend.
The U.S. Congress has discussed legislation aimed at penalizing nations that engage in hostage diplomacy, with potential sanctions and travel restrictions being imposed on officials responsible for arbitrary detentions.
However, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) is set to hold a hearing on Sept. 18 to discuss the plight of Americans detained in China.
Witnesses will include Nelson Wells Sr., father of detained U.S. citizen Nelson Wells Jr.; Harrison Li, son of Kai Li; Tim Hunt, brother of Dawn Michelle Hunt, another detained American; and journalist Peter Humphrey, a former prisoner in China.
The U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory, urging Americans to “reconsider travel” to mainland China due to the “arbitrary enforcement of local laws,” which includes the use of exit bans and wrongful detentions.
According to the advisory, Beijing may prevent foreigners from leaving the country for various reasons, such as forcing them to participate in investigations or to settle civil disputes in favour of Chinese citizens.
Currently, over 200 Americans are subjected to “coercive measures” in China, and more than 30 are under exit bans, The Epoch Times reported, citing the San Francisco-based advocacy group Dui Hua Foundation, which also welcomed the release of David Lin on Sept. 15.
In 2023, Spain-based rights group Safeguard Defenders reported a sharp increase in the number of people placed under exit bans by the Chinese regime over the past decade, reports The Epoch Times.
“Anyone may be a target—human rights defenders, businesspeople, officials, and foreigners,” the report stated.
In response to Lin’s release, the James Foley Legacy Foundation, an organization advocating for the freedom of U.S. hostages abroad, expressed optimism on social media, as reported by The Epoch Times.
“Lin’s release is an encouraging sign,” the foundation stated on X, adding, “We hope all Americans wrongfully detained in China are reunited with their families as soon as possible.”