U.S. lowers travel warning to China after exchanging prisoners

The U.S. State Department downgraded its travel warning for China shortly after exchanging prisoners with China.

The U.S. State Department has lowered its travel warning to mainland China, a recommendation for its citizens, from "travel reconsideration" in level 3 to "caution than usual" in level 2.

The U.S. State Department has warned Americans of arbitrary enforcement of local Chinese laws, a ban on leaving the country and the risk of wrongful detention, with the highest level of alert being level 4, "no travel," and the lowest level 1, "normal alert."

A U.S. State Department spokesperson explained that the exchange of prisoners between the U.S. and China was one of the factors that lowered the travel warning to China.

Under an agreement between the U.S. and China to swap prisoners, three Americans - John Long, Kyrie and Mark Swidon - have been released from detention facilities in China, which the U.S. government has claimed are being unjustly imprisoned in China.