China frees American pastor who U.S. claims was wrongly jailed

SUMMARY

David Lin, an American pastor who was imprisoned in China since 2006 on contract fraud charges, has been released, according to the U.S. State Department. Lin, who had been serving a life sentence, returned to the U.S. to reunite with his family in San Antonio, Texas. The State Department welcomed Lin's release, citing years of diplomatic efforts by U.S. politicians. Lin’s case, along with those of Kai Li and Mark Swidan, had been a point of contention between Washington and Beijing. U.S. officials, including the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had previously urged President Joe Biden to advocate for their release. The congressional commission is set to review these cases, highlighting the ongoing issues of American citizens detained in China.