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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ChinaAid Urges Decisive U.S. Action as Bipartisan Congress Presses Trump on Pastor Ezra Jin Case
Midland, Texas — March 25, 2026
ChinaAid today issued a strong call for immediate and concrete U.S. government action following a bipartisan, bicameral letter led by Senators Ted Budd and Tim Kaine and Representatives Riley Moore and Thomas Suozzi urging President Donald Trump to press for the release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri ahead of his meeting with Xi Jinping.
“Words are no longer enough,” said Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid. “The Chinese Communist Party has escalated its systematic campaign to eradicate independent religious life. The United States must respond with consequences—not just concern.”
Pastor Ezra Jin, a leader of Zion Church, was arbitrarily detained on October 10, 2025. His case is not isolated—it is emblematic of a nationwide crackdown targeting house churches and religious minorities.
ChinaAid underscores that Pastor Jin’s detention is part of a broader pattern of persecution, including:
- The sentencing of Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church to 9 years in prison
- The ongoing enforced disappearance of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, missing for nearly nine years
- The 15-year prison sentence of preacher Yang Rongli of Linfen Golden Lampstand Church
- The continued imprisonment of democracy advocate Wang Bingzhang, serving a life sentence
- The systematic dismantling and repression of churches such as Early Rain Covenant Church and Golden Lampstand Church
“These are not isolated abuses—they constitute crimes against humanity targeting people of faith and conscience,” Fu added.
ChinaAid calls on the U.S. Administration to immediately:
- Publicly and unequivocally demand the release of Pastor Ezra Jin and all prisoners of conscience in China.
- Invoke the International Religious Freedom Act to impose targeted sanctions, including Global Magnitsky sanctions, against responsible Chinese officials.
- Deny visas and restrict entry to perpetrators and their families.
- Elevate religious freedom violations as a central, non-negotiable issue in all U.S.–China diplomatic engagements.
“Failure to act decisively will only embolden further repression,” Fu said. “The credibility of the United States as a defender of human rights is at stake.”
ChinaAid affirms its unwavering commitment to exposing persecution and standing with the persecuted church and all victims of religious repression in China.
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