China frees jailed pastor Ezra Jin after Trump raised his case with Xi

China has released Ezra Jin Mingri, the founder of the underground Zion church, after US President Donald Trump personally raised his case with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Jin, who had been detained since October, was released and confirmed to have arrived in Los Angeles, according to his church and family.

Jin, also known by his Chinese name Mingri, was detained on October 10 along with other church members on charges of "suspicion of the illegal use of information networks." The pastor's case was brought up by Trump during his visit with Xi in May, at which point the Chinese president reportedly said he would "strongly consider" Jin's release. A statement from rights group ChinaAid indicated that Chinese officials informed Jin his release was a result of the discussions between the US and Chinese presidents and was presented as a goodwill gesture coinciding with America's Independence Day.

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We thank God for this tremendous miracle. We hope this is a signal of a positive turn for people of faith in China and relations between our two nations.

Jin's daughter, Grace, expressed gratitude for the "tremendous miracle" and hoped the release signals a positive turn for people of faith in China and bilateral relations. She specifically thanked Trump and his administration for their "tremendous leadership." However, despite Jin's release, eight other members of the Zion Church who were detained in October remain in custody, according to the church.

The release occurs amidst a broader crackdown on unregistered religious groups in China under President Xi Jinping, who regards organized religion with suspicion. Unofficial churches, including Zion Church, which was founded in Beijing in 2007 and grew to 1,500 members before being shut down in 2018, have faced increased scrutiny. Zion Church maintained an online presence that expanded significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Jin's family had relocated abroad after 2018, but he returned to China to remain with his congregation, subsequently facing a travel ban. He had not seen his two young sons for over seven years.

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The pastor was told by Chinese officials that his release “resulted from discussions between US President Donald J Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and was presented as a goodwill gesture coinciding with America’s Independence Day”.