Jin Mingri,leader of underground Zion Church in China,has been freed from prison and is now in U.S. His release came after former U.S. President Donald Trump directly appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping during a May state visit.
He was detained in October 2025 during a harsh crackdown on religious activities,which Christian groups called one of the worst in recent Chinese memory. Jin,also known as Ezra Jin,founded Zion Church in 2007 . It grew to about 10,000 members in 40 cities. But church was banned by Chinese Communist Party in 2018 after it refused to install surveillance cameras in its Beijing location.
After release,Jin's family expressed thanks,stating, "We truly witnessed a miracle and we are feeling so overwhelmed with joy." They thanked Trump and his administration for "tremendous leadership," believing Xi's intervention helped secure Jin's freedom .
Rights group ChinaAid confirmed Jin's arrival in Los Angeles,welcomed by its founder Bob Fu. Fu said while Jin's release is positive,many religious practitioners,including eight Zion Church members,are still jailed in China . The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China,with Western lawmakers,expressed joy over Jin's freedom.
Trump had urged Xi to consider Jin's case in their talks,remarking later, "He said he's gonna strongly consider the pastor." Trump also voiced concerns about detained Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai,who got a 20-year sentence under China's national security law.
China's crackdown on religious groups has intensified recently,with reports of around 30 church leaders detained in October raids that led to Jin's imprisonment . A similar crackdown in January saw nine detained from another church.
China's government keeps tight control over religious practices,promoting atheism and requiring religious groups to follow state-sanctioned rules. Christians often pressured to join only government-approved churches with officially recognized pastors.
Jin's release has sparked hope among religious freedom advocates in China . His family is optimistic this could signal a more favorable environment for faith in country…and maybe a thaw in U.S.-China relations.
