Bill Drexel

The paywall for this superb reporting from @FrannieBlock is down today only following the news that @POTUS reports that Xi Jinping is "seriously considering" Pastor Jin's release. Read/watch here 👇 thefp.com/p/china-persec…

@MarkSimonHK @POTUS Amen. We continue to pray for the health and release of @SupportJimmyLai and #FreePastorJin. And to be immensely grateful to @POTUS for pushing these cases.

Anytime @POTUS can free a religious prisoner it's good news for everyone. It's not a zero sum game.

It's been seven months since Pastor Ezra Jin and over a dozen other pastors were imprisoned in China. At the close of his summit with Xi Jinping this week, Donald Trump is hinting he might be able to help free them. Read the story behind China's decades-long persecution of Christians in @TheFP : thefp.com/p/china-persec…

For the full Ezra Jin story, read @FrannieBlock: thefp.com/p/china-persec…

We are overwhelmed with thankfulness, @POTUS. Thank you for pressing Pastor Ezra Jin’s case.

.@POTUS tells reporters he discussed Pastor Ezra Jin and Jimmy Lai with President Xi: "I think he's giving very serious consideration to the pastor... he said Jimmy Lai is a tough one for him to do."

Dear President Trump, from our family, thank you so much for raising #FreePastorJin! @realDonaldTrump @POTUS

Today President Donald Trump raised the case of pastor Ezra Jin with Xi Jinping. Jin is one of a number of Christian pastors imprisoned in the CCP's war on Christianity. Watch our full video on the plight of China's Christians:

“We must obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:29 Pastor Jin’s courage is a reminder that faith cannot be dictated by the Communist Party. When governments demand loyalty above God, standing firm has a cost — and that’s exactly why the pastor’s witness matters. This week, we are praying for his release and for all those wrongfully detained, persecuted, and imprisoned for their faith in China.

Can confirm from experience this is an excellent opportunity!

Pastor Ezra Jin, Pastor Gao Quanfu, and Pang Yu remain behind bars in China for practicing their faith. We stand with them, and with all victims of religious repression around the world the world. #FreePastorJin #FreeEzra #FreePastorGao #FreePangYu @GraceJDrexel @CNZion

Today, the Senate unanimously passed my bipartisan resolution urging President Trump to prioritize securing the release of political prisoners during his current visit to China.

President Trump carried to Beijing a strong bipartisan call from Congress and @HudsonInstitute experts like @OliviaEnos and @bill_drexel for the immediate release of China’s political prisoners, including Jimmy Lai, Pastor Ezra Jin, and Dr. Gulshan Abbas.

Stories you love to see: France is eating Russia's lunch in India India used to overwhelmingly favour Russia for is military equipment (70% of imports 10 years ago) Now France is just behind, making inroads on missiles and aricrafts, with Russia deemed less reliable

Really enjoyed speaking with @tracegallagher on @foxnewsnight last night! Got the chance to raise the issue of political prisoners — specifically Jimmy Lai, Pastor Ezra Jin, and Gulshan Abbas. Everyone is focused on the list of CEOs, but the list of prisoners matters more.

RELEASE: Sens. Cruz, Durbin Resolution Urging the Release of Political Prisoners in China Passes Senate cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press…

Thank you for standing so firmly with us! Truly means so much! H.Res.1259 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should prioritize securing the release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai detained by the People's Republic of China during future engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping. @SpeakerJohnson @RepMoolenaar @RepTomSuozzi @RepYoungKim Rep. Chris Smith @ziba116 @GaoPu1231 #FreePastorJin #FreeJimmyLai #FreeGulshanAbbas #FreeGaoQuanfu #FreePangYu

China violates human rights and captures political prisoners to tighten its grip on power. The US needs to stand on the side of freedom—President Trump should ask for the release of Jimmy Lai, Pastor Jin, and Gulshan Abbas at the summit, @OliviaEnos urges.

On October 10, 2025, police in China arrested three dozen Christian pastors and church members in a coordinated, countrywide operation, @FrannieBlock reports. The officers came in the dead of the night, sometimes ripping young parents away from their kids, taking elderly men away in handcuffs, and temporarily cutting power from people’s homes, according to witnesses. Grace Drexel’s father, Ezra Jin, 57, was one of those arrested. He is the lead pastor of Zion Church, one of the largest underground churches in China. “The Chinese government tries to intimidate those who speak out,” Grace told Block from her home in Washington, D.C., “and they want to show that there is no safe place for you anywhere in the world, even if you think that you are in a country like America.” Along with at least 17 other pastors, Jin is sitting in a prison in Southern China. The clergy face charges including the illegal dissemination of information online. Their real crimes were establishing underground churches, hosting worship sessions, and offering sermons outside of the Communist Party’s strict authority. “In China,” Block writes, “any deference to an authority higher than the party’s can make you an enemy of the state.” Read the full story here: bit.ly/42xVyOQ

Incredible reporting by @FrannieBlock on China's persecution of Christians, an item POTUS said he'd bring up in Beijing. thefp.com/p/china-persec…