Ruth Wang, a partner at VDoor Law Firm in China, has transited to Taiwan while seeking assistance for resettlement abroad. Wang was part of a legal team representing members of the Zion Church in Beijing beginning in October 2025. She told the Associated Press that Chinese authorities have pressured her and her colleagues to dissolve their firm or face governmental closure.
The Zion Church, founded by pastor Ezra Jin in 2007, operates as an unregistered religious organization in China. Members believe the church represents an independent faith community separate from state-controlled religious structures. In October of the previous year, 18 church members including Jin were arrested in what authorities characterized as a major enforcement action. Jin was released earlier this year following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May. According to a pastor currently in the United States, the church has approximately 5,000 members across roughly 40 cities in China.
Wang’s firm has experienced multiple obstacles recently. The founder and her mentor, Zhang Kai, had his legal license revoked and was barred from international travel. Other attorneys at the firm faced six-month practice suspensions. Judicial authorities have directed firm lawyers to cease representing Zion Church-related cases and to leave the organization. Wang said lawyers attempting to transfer to other firms encountered restrictions on doing so.
While on vacation in Japan last month, Wang received a call from Chinese authorities requesting an in-person meeting in Beijing. She declined and subsequently decided not to return to China. She arrived in Taiwan with her family and requested temporary residency while exploring options for permanent relocation. Taiwanese officials stated they could not process political asylum claims due to cross-strait tensions, though they permitted temporary stay. Wang is investigating educational pathways to the United States or Canada as potential routes for family resettlement, with asylum applications as an alternative.
Bob Fu, founder of the nonprofit ChinaAid organization, characterized Wang’s situation as reflective of broader pressure on legal professionals defending religious practitioners. The U.S. State Department issued a statement indicating concerns about treatment of Christians in China, particularly those in independent congregations. Chinese government officials have not yet responded to inquiries regarding the case.
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