China has released an American pastor after nearly two decades in prison, presenting an olive branch to the United States that had repeatedly called for his release.
David Lin, a US pastor was freed from a prison in China, according to a State Department spokesman. The 68-year-old born-again Christian had been held in China since 2006 on allegations of fraud though critics said his sermons and involvement in building a home church were frowned upon by Beijing, which tries to control religious activity.
“We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China. He has returned to the United States and now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years,” said a State Department spokesperson.
Lin’s daughter Alice earlier told Politico that her 68-year-old father would be arriving in San Antonio, Texas.
“No words can express the joy we have – we have a lot of time to make up for,” Politico quoted her as saying.
Last November, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged President Joe Biden to use a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to push for the release of Lin and two other detainees – Kai Li and Mark Swidan.
His unexpected release from jail suggests Beijing is making a show of goodwill at a critical time for US-China relations, especially with the US presidential election in November. While there is progress on issues such as tackling fentanyl trafficking and resuming high-level military talks, tensions persist over Taiwan and technology-sharing.
China’s Foreign Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment sent on a public holiday in Beijing.
Lin together with Mark Swidan, a Texas businessman on death row for alleged drug trafficking, and Kai Li, a naturalized US citizen who imported solar energy technology, have been on the State Department priority list of Americans who have been arbitrarily detained.
Lin, who was set to be released in December 2029, was freed just days before a Congress hearing scheduled on Wednesday over securing the freedom of unjustly detained Americans in China.
The Dui Hua Foundation, which campaigns for political prisoners in China, said it welcomed Lin’s release from the Beijing Number Two Prison.
“It represents one of the most important releases of a religious prisoner since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012,” John Kamm, chairman of the Dui Hua Foundation, told Bloomberg News. “It demonstrates a willingness to improve relations with the United States by releasing its citizens from prison.”