American pastor, David Lin released from Chinese prison after 18 years

An American pastor, David Lin, who had been detained in China since 2006, has been released, the U.S. State Department confirmed.

Lin’s release follows years of diplomatic efforts by U.S. officials, who argued he was wrongfully imprisoned on charges of contract fraud.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the State Department expressed, “We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China.”

The pastor’s release marks the result of extensive negotiations and advocacy from Washington, which had long contended that his imprisonment was unjust.

Lin’s case was a frequent point of discussion in U.S.-China diplomatic exchanges focused on human rights and legal transparency.

After serving a life sentence, Lin has now returned to the United States, reuniting with his family for the first time in nearly two decades, according to a State Department spokesperson.

Reuters reported that Lin is now with his family in the U.S. Alice Lin, his daughter, told Politico that her 68-year-old father arrived in San Antonio, Texas. “We are overjoyed and have so much time to make up for,” Alice said.

In the past, U.S. senators, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, had called on President Joe Biden to advocate for the release of Lin and two other Americans, Kai Li and Mark Swidan, during diplomatic talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The U.S. has designated all three individuals as wrongfully detained, though China maintains that their cases were adjudicated according to its laws.