Congress Members Ask Trump To Seek Release Of Detained Pastor, Ezra Jin In Meeting with Chinese President

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing on 14-15 May.

A bipartisan group of members of the United States Congress has urged incumbent President Donald Trump to press Chinese President Xi Jinping over the detention of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri and other religious leaders during an upcoming meeting next week.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing on 14-15 May.

In a letter dated March 24, 2026, shared by US Lawmaker Riley Moore on Saturday, May 9, 2026 and addressed to Trump at the White House in Washington, lawmakers called for urgent diplomatic intervention, describing the pastor’s detention by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as arbitrary.

“As you prepare to meet with President Xi Jinping next month, we urge you to seek resolution of the case of Ezra Jin Mingri, a pastor and family member of American citizens, who was arbitrarily detained on October 10, 2025, alongside other leaders of the Zion Church by the People’s Republic of China (PRC),” the letter stated.

The lawmakers further appealed to Trump to advocate for the release of the detained church leaders and request Chinese authorities to permit Jin to leave the country.

“We encourage you to advocate for their release and request the PRC to allow Mr. Jin to leave China, in addition to raising concerns regarding the ongoing unjust imprisonment and persecution of Christians, Tibetans, and Uyghurs, among other religious and ethnic minority groups across China,” the letter added.

According to the lawmakers, several international bodies and rights organizations have consistently documented cases of religious persecution and suppression targeting Christian communities and other minority groups in China.