Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and a bipartisan group of Senators in calling on President Trump to prioritize securing the release of Pastor Erza Jin, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai in future meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The resolution also urges President Trump to prioritize securing their release during his visit to China this month.
“It is well known that Communist China is a leading violator of internationally recognized human rights, unjustly imprisoning or detaining individuals to suppress their freedom of religion or speech. I stand with my colleagues in urging President Trump to advocate for the release of Pastor Ezra Jin, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife, Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai at the upcoming U.S.-China summit. Their wrongful detentions are completely unacceptable,” said Senator Budd.
“No one should fear for their lives or political imprisonment for standing up for democracy and freedom. While the Chinese have worked with my office on such cases in the past and made some important gestures, it’s time for the immediate release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas, Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and Pang Yu, and Jimmy Lai. I urge President Trump to raise their cases with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visits China in the near future,” said Senator Durbin.
“The Chinese Communist Party is a brutal authoritarian regime, and those under its rule face persecution, violence, and even execution for their beliefs. I’m grateful to stand with Senator Durbin to hold the CCP accountable, secure the release of wrongly detained individuals, and deliver justice for the victims of its abuses,” said Senator Cruz
U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and John Curtis (R-Utah) also cosponsored the resolution.
Read the full resolution text HERE.
BACKGROUND
The resolution calls for the release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas—a doctor serving a 20-year sentence likely as a result of her sister’s advocacy on Uyghur issues; Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai,who has been jailed since 2020; and Pastors Ezra Jin and Gao Quanfu and Gao’s wife Pang Yu, who were arrested amid a crackdown on religious freedom.
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