The White House said three Americans jailed in China have been released and were heading back to the US.

The trio – Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung – had been considered by Washington to be wrongfully detained by Beijing. Swidan was facing a death sentence on drug charges while Li and Leung were jailed on espionage charges.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had spoken to all three. "I told them how glad I was that they were in good health and that they'll soon be reunited with their loved ones," he said in a post on X.

Politico, which first reported the release, said a number of Chinese citizens detained in the US would also be released.

China's embassy in Washington did not comment on the case.

Meanwhile, the US has upgraded its travel advisory for China.

The US State Department changed its travel warning to China to level 2, advising US citizens to “exercise increased caution” when travelling to the country. It had previously been at level 3, telling Americans to “reconsider travel”. (Agencies)