Chinese Christian pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, 57, was inside a detention center in southern China on the morning of July 3, worrying that he would likely spend at least 15 years behind bars. He had even wondered whether he would live to see freedom again. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
In the span of 24 hours, Jin was 15 time zones away, digging into an In-N-Out hamburger in Los Angeles and watching fireworks with his family on the eve of Independence Day, marking America's 250th anniversary.
"It's so dramatic. It's unimaginable," the pastor told The Associated Press outside the nation's capital.
He said he was suddenly released after being held since October, then put on a plane to the U.S. after President Donald Trump raised his case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May.
Jin has led one of China's most influential underground churches, which defy government restrictions by not being registered with authorities. He is an exceptional case of a high-profile Chinese detainee going free following a U.S. request at a time when Beijing's leadership has only become more unyielding to foreign pressure.
Jin said Chinese authorities released him without forcing him to make a confession or going through a show trial, dropping the charges instead. He said he did not know if there was any deal or swap for his release and credited Trump's "unique diplomacy."
Trump, when leaving Beijing in May, told reporters that he brought up Jin's case with Xi.