China Frees US Pastor After 18 Years In Jail: 'No Words Can Express The Joy,' Says Daughter

In a surprising turn of events, China has released David Lin, a U.S. pastor who has been in custody since 2006, despite the U.S. claiming his imprisonment was unjust.

What Happened: The U.S. State Department confirmed Lin’s release on Sunday, Reuters reported on Monday. Lin, who was serving a life sentence for contract fraud, was the subject of ongoing appeals from U.S. politicians for his release.

“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,” a State Department representative stated.

Lin’s daughter, Alice, expressed her elation at her father’s release. “No words can express the joy we have — we have a lot of time to make up for,” she said.

President Joe Biden was previously urged to address Lin’s case, along with that of two other detainees, during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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Why It Matters: The release of Lin comes at a critical time in U.S.-China relations, with the two nations experiencing heightened tensions. This follows a series of events, including a stern warning from the Chinese ambassador regarding Taiwan and other ‘red lines’, an American economist’s criticism of U.S. policies to “contain” China, and China’s condemnation of the U.S. for including Chinese firms in its export control list.

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Photo by vaalaa on Shutterstock

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari