Xi Jinping received a grand welcome at the White House this week. Meanwhile, Pastor John Cao, who is suffering from stage 4 bone cancer, remains in Changsha as his government denies him a passport.
This stark contrast reveals a lot about the nature of the man sitting across from President Trump.
Pastor Cao is a permanent resident of the U.S., with his family—including his wife and two sons—living in North Carolina. Tragically, he has a grandson he has never had the chance to hold. After spending seven years in prison in China for his religious work, he was released in March 2024 but has been unable to leave China since. Despite applying for a passport five times, Beijing has consistently denied his requests. There’s no legal reason blocking his departure; it’s simply cruel policies and the government’s desire for leverage that keep him there. Xi Jinping should let Pastor Cao return to his family immediately.
The Chinese regime is openly hostile to religion, and that’s a clear policy choice, not just metaphorical language.
Since Xi took power, the Communist Party has removed countless crosses from churches. They’ve prohibited unlicensed online preaching, forced clergy to undergo loyalty tests, and mandated that religion be “sinicized” to align with Party interests. In October 2025, authorities launched a large-scale crackdown on house churches, arresting individuals like Pastor Ezra Jin from Beijing’s Zion Church, alongside dozens of others around the country. A few months prior, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife from the Light of Zion Church were detained on dubious charges related to undermining law enforcement. Also, Pastor Wang Yi from Chengdu’s Early Rain Covenant Church remains imprisoned with a nine-year sentence.
Why does this happen? Well, the Communist Party cannot accept any allegiance that supersedes loyalty to itself. Recent estimates suggest that China may have more Christians than Communist Party members. Xi perceives every believer as a potential threat, which, in a way, he’s justified in fearing. Faith is something the Party can’t fully control.
President Trump should be commended for advocating for Pastor Ezra Jin’s release. When he met with Xi in May, he raised Pastor Jin’s situation, which wasn’t initially on the agenda. Less than two months later, Pastor Jin arrived in Los Angeles and was reunited with his family. “A China without religious freedom is one we cannot accept,” he told supporters after his release.
This issue hit home for many of us. At CPAC in Grapevine, Texas, Grace Jin Drexel spoke on behalf of her father, representing not just him but every believer unjustly imprisoned. It was a truly moving moment on the CPAC stage, and by summer, her father was free. It’s rare for presidents to grasp the immediate impact of their words, but this president clearly did.
However, to be honest, Xi didn’t release Pastor Jin out of compassion; he did it to serve his own interests—for a smoother summit, a more favorable dialogue, and to ease trade tensions. Beijing often trades in human lives—releasing one prisoner while many others remain locked up. Eight of Pastor Jin’s colleagues from Zion Church continue to be imprisoned.
That’s why CPAC, together with a coalition led by Grace Jin Drexel and several other faith leaders, wrote to the president this week. The letter urges him to advocate for the freedom of 50 individuals in China who are imprisoned or restricted due to their beliefs. It requests their release or, if necessary, safe passage to the U.S. or another country. Pastor Cao’s case is prioritized.
The president possesses the necessary relationship with Xi and a strong track record to make a difference for religious prisoners in China. He has the potential to persuade Xi to help those who are jailed simply for practicing their Christian faith.
Religious freedom is inherently American; it’s the very first freedom noted in the Bill of Rights and a major reason many came to this country. President Trump is focusing on this issue.
Xi offered pleasantries and trade commitments, speaking of “strategic stability,” but he avoided talking about the imprisoned pastors. That’s his choice. It shouldn’t be ours.
Americans will remember who stood in solidarity with the oppressed. President Ronald Reagan continually pushed Mikhail Gorbachev to address the issues concerning Soviet dissidents, including during negotiations with the Kremlin. Reagan understood that a regime which imprisons people for faith cannot be trusted on any other matter.
There is a list of 50 names. We should start with the ailing pastor who yearns to return home to America.
