WorldInterview with underground church leader Jin Mingri: Released after Trump’s China visit in rare diplomatic case

Jin Mingri, founder of China’s prominent underground Zion Church, was detained during a large-scale Christian crackdown last October. After 266 days in custody, he was unexpectedly released, with a prosecutor announcing that he would not be prosecuted before a US consul accompanied him to Los Angeles. The release has been viewed as a result directly prompted by Donald Trump’s visit to China in May, although neither Beijing nor Washington has publicly addressed the case. Jin also described fasting in prison, his sudden freedom and tighter religious controls in China.