Former Vice President Mike Pence has publicly praised President Donald Trump for his role in securing the release of pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, a prominent underground Christian leader detained by Chinese authorities.
Pence expressed his gratitude in a post on X, stating that Trump "should be commended" for raising the case directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to Beijing.
The pastor's release is seen as a significant victory, as Jin was detained in October along with 17 other church leaders.
Less than two months after Trump pressed Xi on Jin's detention, the pastor safely arrived in Los Angeles to reunite with his family.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Jin's family thanked Trump and acknowledged that the swift release would not have been possible without Xi's intervention.
Senator Rick Scott of Florida also took to X to thank Trump and Secretary of State for their leadership in securing Pastor Jin's freedom.
Scott echoed Pence's call for the release of jailed Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai, stating that "we cannot stop fighting to hold COMMUNIST CHINA accountable for ALL of their crimes."
Scott expressed concern for Lai's well-being, noting that the 78-year-old activist has been in solitary confinement for years and suffers from diabetes.
The senator vowed to continue fighting for Lai's release, stating that he will "never stop fighting for Jimmy Lai and I won’t give up until Jimmy is out of prison."
