Full Breakdown
Senators Urge Trump to Press Xi on Release of Zion Church Leaders
By Drooid · · How we work
Senate Letter Calls for Action on Religious Persecution
A bipartisan group of ten U.S. senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to use his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to seek the release of eight imprisoned leaders of the Zion Church. The senators, led by Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., asked the United States to advocate for prisoners detained for exercising their right to freedom of religious belief. They also requested assurances that any remaining detainees are being treated humanely.
Background on Zion Church and Chinese Religious Policy
Zion Church, a Christian congregation operating in China, has faced repression because it did not register with the state-run system that controls religious groups. Pastor Ezra Jin, a prominent leader of the church, was arrested and held for nearly nine months before being freed in July after Trump discussed his case with Xi during a prior visit to China. Chinese authorities have long required religious organizations to register, and reports from the U.S. government and Human Rights Watch note systematic repression of minority religious groups, including Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners.
Key Figures Involved
- President Donald Trump – U.S. president who hosted Xi Jinping at the White House.
- President Xi Jinping – Chinese leader invited for his first White House visit in over a decade.
- Pastor Ezra Jin – Zion Church pastor released after nearly nine months of imprisonment.
- Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C. – Co-leader of the bipartisan Senate group.
- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. – Co-leader of the bipartisan Senate group.
Official Positions and Responses
The senators’ letter cited the Chinese constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom while highlighting decades of repression. They asked Trump to press Xi for the release of the remaining Zion Church members and to keep other persecuted groups in mind. No public response from the White House or the Chinese government was included in the sources.
Data on Persecution
Human Rights Watch and U.S. government reports document ongoing crackdowns on unregistered religious groups in China. The Zion Church case adds to a broader pattern that also affects Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners, though specific numbers of detainees were not provided in the available material.