China has freed an American pastor after 15 years in jail for fundraising on behalf of a Christian church in Beijing.

David Lin, who the US  claims was wrongfully detained, will be reunited with his family in Texas after nearly two decades apart.

Mr Lin, 68, was given a life sentence in 2009 for contract fraud after entering China in 2006. His sentence was later reduced and he was scheduled for release in December 2029.

The Californian pastor tried to open a Christian church in Beijing in 2006, according to local media.

Under Chinese law, all recognised faiths must be registered and approved by the government and are closely monitored.

According to the Dui Hua Foundation, a human rights foundation with a focus in China, contract fraud is a crime frequently used against small church leaders, who raise funds to support their work.

‘No words can express the joy we have’

The US considered Mr Lin “unjustly detained”, along with fellow American citizens including Kai Li and Mark Swidan. All three have faced ongoing health concerns while in prison, according to the US.

“We welcome David Lin’s release from prison in the People’s Republic of China,” said a US state department spokesperson. “He has returned to the United States and now gets to see his family for the first time in nearly 20 years,”

Mr Lin’s release comes after Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, met with Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, in Beijing in August.

In the meeting Mr Sullivan stated that “it remains a top priority to resolve the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China”.

The US had for years urged China to free Mr Lin so the release also indicates progress in relations between the two superpowers.

Mr Lin is soon expected to arrive in San Antonio, Texas to meet with his family, according to Politico.

“No words can express the joy we have – we have a lot of time to make up for,” Alice Lin, Mr Lin’s daughter, told the media.