Pastor Jin Mingri of the Zion Church in Beijing was released by the Chinese Communist Party on July 4, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States
, and has safely arrived in
Los Angeles . His family issued a statement thanking US President
Trump and his administration for their assistance, calling the outcome a “miracle.” A press release from the US-based ChinaAid Association stated that the Chinese officials who escorted him to the plane said the release was a humanitarian arrangement facilitated by exchanges between the US and Chinese leaders and a gesture of goodwill for US Independence Day.
Voice of America reported that Kim Myong-il’s daughter, Kim Jung-ah, issued a statement on July 4th, saying, “We sincerely thank everyone for their support and prayers throughout. We have indeed witnessed a miracle, and our hearts are filled with indescribable joy.” The statement also expressed gratitude to Trump and his administration, saying, “We (the Kim Myong-il family) thank President Trump and his administration for the outstanding leadership they have shown.” The statement further stated that without “President Xi Jinping’s direct intervention, none of this would have been possible.”
The report states that since Kim Myung-il’s arrest in October 2025, the US political establishment has continued to monitor the case. Prior to Trump’s visit to Beijing in May, both the US Senate and House of Representatives passed resolutions unanimously on May 13, urging Trump to push for the release of several political prisoners and religious figures, including Kim Myung-il, during his visit.
Before departing for China, Trump stated that he would raise the cases of Jimmy Lai and Kim Min-il with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. On his return flight, he told accompanying reporters that Xi Jinping was considering releasing Kim Min-il.
Previously, in an interview on May 19, Jin Tingya repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Trump, saying, “The relationship between China and the United States may be one of the biggest issues of our time. At such an important meeting (the US-China summit), he still took the time to speak out for my father. I am really grateful.”
According to a press release issued by the U.S.-based ChinaAid Association on the evening of July 4, Kim Min-il was still in a Chinese detention center at noon Beijing time on July 4, and arrived in the United States by plane a few hours later. The Chinese official who escorted him to the plane said that “this release was a humanitarian arrangement facilitated after exchanges between the U.S. and Chinese leaders” and was also a goodwill gesture for U.S. Independence Day.
In addition, Kim Min-il’s family stated that they hope his release will symbolize a “positive turning point for the situation of Chinese believers and for relations between the two countries.” They added, “Given the extremely rapid development of the situation, we earnestly request that everyone continue to pray for us and be patient, accompanying us through this critical moment.”
In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been cracking down on unregistered religious groups and overseas religious figures through legislative amendments and repressive law enforcement. Chiu Chui-cheng, chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, mentioned in the Legislative Yuan in June that more public awareness campaigns should be conducted regarding religious groups, especially given the high risks associated with certain sects traveling to China, such as Yiguandao. To date, more than 20 people have been arrested and detained by CCP authorities for religious reasons, including 17 members of Yiguandao, with only 3 having been released.
Chiu Chui-cheng also pointed out at the time that relevant Chinese authorities had listed Yiguandao and Falun Gong as “cult organizations,” and if convicted under Article 300 of the Chinese Criminal Law, they would face at least three years in prison. Based on this risk, the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of the Interior have actively explained to religious groups that they should not assume that China has religious freedom and can proselytize at will, especially Yiguandao members who should be extra cautious when traveling to the mainland to preach.
