Chinese police swiftly escorted Pastor Jin Mingri from a jail cell in Beihai, where he had been held for 266 days. They loaded him into a van, then onto a train, where he sat surrounded by approximately two dozen officers, many with cameras trained on him.
Jin Mingri, founder of one of China’s most prominent underground churches, questioned whether he was being transferred to a secret prison. An officer laughed and urged him to remain optimistic.
Hours later, as the plane began its journey, the man beside him introduced himself as an American government official.
Jin Mingri was free.
His release on July 3, 2023, resulted from a direct appeal by President Trump to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking a rare concession from Beijing. This outcome underscores how high-profile detainees like Jin and Hong Kong dissident Jimmy Lai often depend on top-level intervention rather than judicial proceedings in Xi’s authoritarian regime.
Jin was detained in October during China’s largest church crackdown in nearly a decade, alongside other church leaders. Trump raised Jin’s case with Xi during a May visit to Beijing, though it remained uncertain whether Xi, who has intensified societal and religious controls, would agree to his release.
In his first interview since arrest, Jin recounted the circumstances leading to his detention and eventual freedom to The New York Times.
A Rare Release of a Political Prisoner
Upon landing in Los Angeles, Jin was greeted by his wife and children, whom he had not seen in nearly a decade.
“Twenty-four hours earlier, I was in a harsh jail with no idea of the future, fearing a 15-year sentence,” Jin told The Times. “Suddenly, I was free—and reuniting with my family filled me with indescribable emotion.”
China typically resists U.S. appeals for political prisoners, viewing such cases as matters of sovereignty. When releases occur, they often require detainees to confess, grant medical parole, or involve prisoner swaps involving Chinese nationals in the U.S.
Jin, 57, stated he was not compelled to sign statements and that Chinese officials did not restrict his future communication with colleagues or congregants.
“It may be because everyone knows President Xi personally decided this,” Jin said. “Otherwise, this wouldn’t be possible.”
Jin and his wife hold Chinese citizenship, while their children are U.S. nationals. Neither the Chinese government nor the White House have commented on the agreement, though Trump noted Xi promised to “strongly consider” Jin during Air Force One departure from China.
Eight other Zion church leaders remain imprisoned.
The Nationwide Raid on Zion Church
Jin’s ordeal began in October when Chinese authorities raided his Beihai home during dinner, accusing him of violating laws related to “illegally using information networks.” This referenced the church’s online activities after its Beijing location was shut down in 2018.
Zion members had anticipated crackdowns. Officers had been disrupting gatherings nationwide. The day before Jin’s arrest, another pastor, Franklin Wang Lin, was detained at an airport attempting to travel to Hong Kong.
While China’s constitution guarantees religious freedom, the Communist Party mandates government registration and political oversight of religious groups. An estimated tens of millions of unregistered Christians worship in secrecy.
Approximately two dozen other Zion members were detained, though some were later released.
“We always knew something could happen,” Jin said. “What was meant to come, has come.”
Pressured While in Detention
Jin was held in a detention center with two to three dozen inmates sharing a 1,000-square-foot room on a platform bed. Windows lacked panes, creating extreme temperatures in winter and summer. Detainees were forced to sit on benches during the day, raising hands if they wished to stand. Many developed constipation or sores from immobility.
Officials repeatedly pressured Jin to plead guilty, which he partially admitted to—establishing a church, gathering after its shutdown, and holding online meetings. However, he maintained these acts were not illegal.
Officials warned of harsher penalties for fellow members if Jin refused to confess. They revoked his lawyers’ credentials, forcing him to replace legal teams three times.
Authorities attempted to sway Jin by suggesting earlier family reunification. His family relocated to the U.S. in 2018 amid Zion crackdowns, but Jin chose to remain in China with his congregation.
“I desperately wanted to reunite with my family, but you cannot tempt someone with that,” Jin said. “If I am guilty, sentence me. If innocent, release me.”
A Sliver of Hope
Jin prayed daily and fasted Fridays and Thursdays, though he sometimes felt despair. He has diabetes but received only oral medication instead of insulin, and was barred from writing letters.
Through his legal team, Jin learned his family had lobbied the Trump administration for his release. After about a month in detention, he was granted access to a Bible—rarely permitted in Chinese jails—after advocacy by his lawyers and U.S. officials.
When Trump met Xi in May, Jin heard coverage on state television but did not learn of the direct appeal until lawyer visits weeks later.
Jin dared not hope fully, assuming he might face house arrest. “The U.S. has had minimal success securing releases for over 20 years, particularly under Xi,” Jin said. “The Chinese government is too powerful now.”
On July 3, officers abruptly led Jin from his cell to Guangzhou’s international airport, 300 miles from Beihai. A conference room there hosted a formal address by the chief prosecutor, who stated “conclusive evidence” existed but decided against indictment.
A Long-Awaited Reunion
Descending from the plane, Jin saw his youngest son had grown taller than him since their last meeting at age 10. He had missed his daughter’s wedding and the birth of his grandson, named Ezra after Jin himself.
Holding his grandchildren, Jin described the moment as “the happiest of my life.”
Drexel (née Jin) noted her father appeared gaunt from losing over 30 pounds and shaving his hair in detention.
The family celebrated July 4th with In-N-Out burgers and fireworks from a Los Angeles hotel room.
Now residing near Washington, D.C., with his daughter, Jin experiences intense emotional swings between joy and sorrow, having slept little. He continues lobbying U.S. officials for the remaining eight Zion leaders and broader religious and human rights advocacy in China, considering passing church leadership to younger generations.
“I’m grateful China released me, and hope it will do so for others like Jimmy Lai,” Jin emphasized. “We mustn’t assume we’ve ‘succeeded’ and forget those still imprisoned.”
“My family’s persistent advocacy produced results. We must ‘go all out’ in speaking out for justice,” he concluded.
