A lawyer representing eight leaders of the Beijing Zion Church has fled mainland China, after the trial has been delayed.
Wang Xiahong arrived in Taiwan with her husband and two young children on 3 September, according to the Associated Press.
The lawyer, also known as Ruth Wang, is seeking protection from Taiwanese authorities because of concerns she could face retaliation and arrest for her advocacy.
Vdoor Law Firm, where she was a partner, has been forced to cease operations following pressure from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, according to non-profit rights organisation ChinaAid.
It follows the trial of the ‘Zion Eight’, which was due to take place in mid-August, being delayed after lawyers called for more time to review case files.
The CCP crackdown on the independent house church network began with raids in October 2025.
Wang Lin, Gao Yingjia, Yin Huibin, Wang Cong, Liu Zhenbin and Lin Shucheng have been accused of fraud for allegedly obtaining ¥10m (£1.1m) of offerings in what prosecutors describe as “illegal religious activities”.
Pastor Wang Lin, Elder Wang Zhong, and Wu Qiuyu are charged with illegal business operations for allegedly earning approximately ¥2m (£220,500) by selling religious courses without approval.
Pastor Ezra Jin, who founded the church, was released in July after a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and American President Donald Trump.
Dr Bob Fu, ChinaAid founder, described Wang’s escape as “a wake-up call to the entire international community”, saying that all she did was “fulfill the most basic professional responsibility of a lawyer”.
The organisation warns that the case demonstrates the pressure faced by lawyers representing Christians and other prisoners of conscience in China; calling on Taiwan, the United States and other democracies to protect Wang and keep her family together.