Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, a prominent leader of China's underground Zion Church, was released from detention in July after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly raised his case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Beijing in May. Jin was arrested in October 2025 in Beihai, Guangxi province, along with dozens of others, and spent nearly nine months in detention. He described the conditions as extremely tense, noting that even basic actions like using the bathroom required raising a hand, and that he looked frail and thinner upon his release. His daughter, Grace Drexel, stated he required new medication and continued monitoring of his health. Jin expressed hope that during Xi’s current state visit to the United States, the issue of religious freedom would be discussed and that the eight other pastors still detained in China would be released. He said that since his release, the campaign against Christians has accelerated, with continued raids, arrests, and pressure on lawyers handling the cases of other church leaders. Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife, Pang Yu, are among those currently in detention, with their cases likely to go to trial soon. China’s government has faced accusations of cracking down on religious freedom through policies such as "Sinicisation," which requires religions to align with Chinese culture as interpreted by the Communist Party. Independent Christian congregations have been targeted over the past decade, with reports of destroyed crosses, burned Bibles, and followers being forced to renounce their faith. Chinese law guarantees freedom of religion but requires religious groups to register with the state and operate under political oversight. Those who refuse often worship underground. Jin founded the Zion Church in 2007 after leaving the official Protestant church. During the 2018 crackdown, the government placed travel restrictions on him, preventing him from visiting his family in the U.S. The church’s membership grew during the pandemic due to online prayer sessions, with an estimated 5,000 regular worshippers across nearly 50 cities. In late 2025, approximately 100 members of another unofficial Protestant church, Yayang Church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, were arrested, with at least two dozen still in detention. Despite the crackdowns, the church continues to function, with Jin stating that many Christians in China continue to worship faithfully despite persecution.