A well-known pastor from an underground church in China, who was detained last October, has been released after less than two months. His family and advocacy groups shared the news on Saturday, noting that President Trump mentioned his case during discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Pastor Ezra Jin Ming-li has now returned to Los Angeles and is “finally reunited with his family,” as reported by Francis Hui of the Hong Kong Freedom Committee Foundation.
Along with 17 other leaders from the underground Zion Church, Jin was caught up in one of the most significant crackdowns on a single church in years. This incident has heightened worries regarding the increasing restrictions on religious freedom in China.
The speed of Jin’s release surprised his family, who claimed the Chinese government acknowledged that his freedom was linked to President Trump’s advocacy and President Xi’s intervention.
In their statement, they voiced hope that this gesture indicates a positive trend for religious believers in China and fosters better bilateral relations.
The White House has not commented on the situation.
Jin’s case drew attention following President Trump’s remarks after a state visit to Beijing in May, where he indicated that he had discussed the detentions of both the pastor and imprisoned Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai with Xi.
While Trump conveyed he would “strongly consider” the pastor’s situation, Xi mentioned that Lai’s case would be “tough.”
Jimmy Lai, aged 78, a former clothing entrepreneur and publisher of a tabloid critical of Beijing, received a 20-year prison sentence earlier this year.
While advocates welcomed Jin’s release, they reminded everyone that other church leaders are still behind bars.
Maya Wang from Human Rights Watch mentioned on X that at least eight members of the Zion Church continue to be detained in China and called for their release.
Zion Church stands out as one of the largest unregistered underground or house churches in China, defying rules that mandate worship only within state-approved congregations.
Viewing organized religion as a potential challenge to its authority, the ruling Communist Party, which espouses atheism, has pushed for the “Sinicization” of religion, insisting on loyalty to the party.
“My father, like many devout Christians worldwide, founded Zion to enable free worship under God’s guidance,” stated his daughter Grace Ginn Drexel, now residing in the U.S., during a Congressional hearing last November.
After Zion Church faced government scrutiny in 2018, Jin chose to return to China with his family, despite the dangers. His daughter mentioned last fall that it had been six years since she last saw her father.
