Beijing lawyer Ruth Wang took her family and sought refuge in Taiwan in the early hours of September 3. At present, she and her family have been granted humanitarian stay and are awaiting resettlement in third countries such as the United States and Canada. Wang had previously been involved in defending the Zion Church, and a phone call from the Chinese public security at the end of August prompted her and her family, who were vacationing in Japan, to decide not to return to China.
Wang, along with her husband and two young children, was en route from Tokyo to Singapore when they decided to seek assistance in Taiwan during a layover to avoid the possibility of being repatriated to China in Singapore. Upon landing in Taiwan, Wang immediately sought help from various relevant departments. Although the Mainland Affairs Council has kept a low profile on the case, considering the potential harm to Wang and her family, they still showed humanitarian considerations and granted Wang and her family “humanitarian stay.” Wang has applied for asylum placement in third countries such as the United States and Canada through the ChinaAid organization.
Ruth Wang is one of the partners of the VDoor Law Firm in Beijing. Since the large-scale arrests and crackdown on members of the Beijing Zion Church by the CCP starting from October 9, 2025, the VDoor Law Firm began representing members of the Beijing Zion Church and its founder, Pastor Jin Mingri. At that time, the Chinese authorities arrested members of the Beijing Zion Church in various parts of China, took away more than 30 pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders, and detained them all in Beihai, Guangxi. Pastor Jin Mingri was forcibly taken away from his residence on the early morning of October 10, 2025.
Following the representation of the Beijing Zion Church case by the VDoor Law Firm, the Chinese authorities exerted pressure through administrative means. Not only were the licenses of some lawyers at the firm revoked, but the firm was also pressured to “voluntarily deregister.”
On September 3, Lawyer Wang accepted an exclusive interview with the Associated Press via online video. In the interview, she said, “If I, as a partner of the firm, do not cooperate and sign to dissolve the firm, what will happen next? I believe this will severely affect my professional development and other aspects of my life.”
Lawyer Wang has witnessed the judicial persecution suffered by her mentor, Lawyer Zhang Kai, after representing the Beijing Zion Church case.
Zhang Kai is the founder of the VDoor Law Firm in Beijing and also serves as the director of the firm. He was the defense lawyer for Pastor Jin Mingri. He has long represented multiple cases involving house churches, providing professional legal assistance to the parties involved.
According to information released by the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers’ Group website in March and April this year, in the Zion Church case, Lawyer Zhang Kai and the entire defense team conducted their work based on the model provided by the Judicial Bureau, without issuing any lawyer statements or public comments. However, in December 2025, the Beijing Judicial Bureau issued a notice to Zhang Kai proposing to revoke his lawyer’s license and officially revoked Zhang Kai’s lawyer’s license in January 2026.
During the defense process of the Zion Church case, lawyers such as Yang Yaohua, Li Chunfu, Ge Xianyang, Liu Anqiang, Tang Xianlong, and Zhao Qingshan were penalized with a six-month suspension of their practice. Lawyer Deng Qinggao, for taking over Zhang Kai’s defense, was issued a “warning” and was forced to withdraw from the defense.
Three of the suspended lawyers were from the VDoor Law Firm in Beijing. The firm faced administrative pressure to deregister after Lawyer Zhang Kai’s license was revoked, as it concentrated on handling a large number of Christian cases and participated in multiple church-related defenses.
Currently, Zhang Kai no longer works publicly as a lawyer and has set up “Kai Men Legal Consultation.” He has been restricted from leaving China and is currently unable to depart the country.
The VDoor Law Firm in Beijing was established on February 22, 2023, which is Ash Wednesday in Christian traditions. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, during which believers reflect on themselves, remember the passion of Christ, and prepare to celebrate Easter through repentance, fasting, and prayer.
The VDoor Law Firm website states, “We are willing to shield with faith and wield the sword of law,” and describes Zhang Kai as someone who “unites fellow travelers with firm faith” and upholds the principles of “professional expertise and pure faith.”
Regarding her future plans, Lawyer Ruth Wang told the Associated Press that she is exploring possibilities for resettlement, including studying in the United States or Canada as a way for her entire family to move overseas. If these options prove unfeasible, they will consider seeking asylum abroad.
Wang stated, “I feel that my family is currently facing an uncertain future. We don’t know what will happen next, or if there is anywhere that will accept us.”
Nevertheless, she mentioned a story from the Bible: when Ruth moved to a new place and faced an uncertain future, God sent a wealthy relative, Boaz, to help her.
Lawyer Wang said, “I also believe that God will provide such a person for me.”