Ezra Jin, founder of China's Zion Church, was released from prison and reunited with his family in the US. His release followed lobbying efforts from the Trump administration and President Trump himself, who had raised Jin's case with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The release of Ezra Jin underscores the influence of US diplomatic pressure, particularly from the Trump administration, on China's handling of religious freedom cases. It also highlights the ongoing tension between the Chinese government's control over religious practice and the persistence of underground religious movements.
Ezra Jin, the founder of Zion Church, one of China's most prominent underground religious groups, has been released from prison and has reunited with his family in the United States. Jin arrived in the US on Friday evening, with his family describing his release as a "tremendous miracle" and thanking President Trump and his administration for their leadership.
Jin's case highlights a rare instance of China releasing a citizen in response to US lobbying. President Trump had personally raised Jin's case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing in May, stating that Xi was "seriously considering" the release of jailed pastors. Jin's daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, had also testified before Congress in November, appealing for her father's freedom.
Christianity is legal in China, but worship is restricted to government-controlled churches. Many Christians opt for unregistered "house churches" like Zion, which was founded in 2007 and moved to online sermons after its physical location was shut down in 2018. The Chinese government has intensified its crackdown on house churches in the past year, with several members of Zion Church still reportedly detained on charges including illegal business operations and fraud.
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