House

House unanimously passes resolution urging Trump to secure release of detainees in China

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by Sudiksha Kochi - 05/13/26 6:58 PM ET

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by Sudiksha Kochi - 05/13/26 6:58 PM ET

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The House on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution wurging President Trump to push to secure the release of five people detained in China.

The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), passed the lower chamber by a vote of 414-0.

It states that Trump “should prioritize securing the release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai detained by the People’s Republic of China during future engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping.”

Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping. The meeting marks the first state visit to China since Trump’s last trip in 2017.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom notes that Jin was detained in October of last year for his “Christian activity” and role as pastor of the Zion Church. The commission also notes that Chinese authorities accused Gao, pastor of Light of Zion Church, of “using superstition to undermine law enforcement” and his wife, Pang, of “fraud based on the church’s collection of voluntary tithes.”

Abbas has been detained in China since 2018. Ziba Murat, her daughter, and Rushan Abbas, Murat’s aunt, have long publicly said they believe Dr. Gulshan Abbas was detained in retaliation for Rushan Abbas’s activism against China’s treatment of Uyghurs, including mass incarceration and forced labor.

And Lai, a high-profile Hong Kong business magnate and democracy advocate, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Chinese officials back in February.

The resolution urges Trump to “seek verifiable proof of life and access to independent legal counsel, family communication, and medical care for such detainees.”

Smith argued in floor remarks earlier this month that “this is not a partisan issue.”

“It is a matter of American leadership, American credibility, and American security. When the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] threatens families in the United States to silence advocacy here at home, that is not just repression over there—it is intimidation aimed at us,” Smith said.

Emily Brooks and Julia Manchester contributed.

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