(GUANGXI, CHINA — Nov. 11, 2026) — Chinese authorities lifted bail restrictions Tuesday on four members of Beijing Zion Church, a prominent unregistered Protestant congregation targeted in a sweeping crackdown last year. Eight other church pastors and workers remain detained and face trial on disputed criminal charges.
The four — Yang Lijun, Sun Xue, Huang Chunzi and Tuya — completed the procedures at a case-handling center in Beihai, a coastal city in southern China’s Guangxi region, according to a church statement. All were released from detention on bail a year earlier.
The decision means the four are no longer subject to criminal compulsory measures, ending restrictions that had remained in place since their release. Church supporters welcomed the development but renewed calls for the release of eight others held for more than a year.
Those still detained are Wang Lin, Wang Cong, Yin Huibin, Gao Yingjia, Liu Zhenbin, Lin Shucheng, Wu Qiuyu and Wang Zhong. They face allegations of fraud or illegal business operations stemming from church finances and religious training, charges supporters say criminalize ordinary religious activities.
Eight remain detained as trial faces delays
Prosecutors brought the case to court in July, but proceedings were postponed. In October, prosecutors sought additional investigation, citing insufficient evidence, according to church representatives. The eight defendants remain in detention.
Families and lawyers criticized the prosecution for proceeding without adequately reviewing evidence or consulting defense attorneys. They say the charges treat voluntary church offerings as fraud and religious instruction as illegal business operations.
ChinaAid, a Texas-based Christian human rights organization, said their detention violates fundamental rights. It urged Chinese judicial authorities to withdraw unsupported charges, safeguard religious freedom, and stop allowing legal proceedings to become tools of political repression.
Concerns extend to detention conditions. In an Oct. 22 letter, Pastor Wang Lin described severe overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and psychological distress inside Beihai’s Second Detention Center, echoing earlier complaints from relatives of the imprisoned Christians.
Pastor Ezra Jin founded Beijing Zion Church in 2007. It grew into one of China’s largest independent house-church networks, operating outside the government-controlled Protestant system. Authorities shut down its main Beijing congregation in 2018 after it refused demands to install surveillance cameras.
Despite the closure, Zion Church continued holding smaller gatherings and online services. In October 2025, Chinese authorities detained nearly 30 pastors and church workers in coordinated raids across multiple cities, later transferring many detainees to Beihai for prosecution.
Jin was released July 4 and reunited with his family in the United States following diplomatic discussions between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. His release brought renewed hope to other families, but eight fellow Christians remain imprisoned.
The lifting of bail restrictions on four members offers a positive development in the broader case. Yet for relatives of those still detained, the central question remains whether authorities will withdraw the charges and allow the church workers to return home.
Gao Zhensai is a special correspondent for ChinaAid News. Founded in 2002, ChinaAid is an international Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China through advocacy, legal support, and international awareness campaigns.