The US Congress has taken a rare unanimous stance, with both the House of Representatives and the Senate urging President Donald Trump to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping over the detention of political and religious prisoners in China. 

The resolutions highlight specific detainees and demand their release, placing human rights firmly on the agenda during Trump’s ongoing state visit to Beijing.

The House of Representatives passed Resolution 1259 in a unanimous 414-0 vote, introduced by Representative Chris Smith. The measure accuses China of systematically suppressing freedom of speech and religion while arbitrarily imprisoning critics, activists, and faith leaders.

Smith emphasised that thousands of political and religious detainees remain in Chinese custody, including American citizens and relatives of US nationals. He described China’s human rights practices as deeply troubling and insisted that Trump must raise the issue directly with Xi Jinping during his diplomatic engagements.

The resolution specifically named five detainees: Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu, church leader Pang Yu, Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, and Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas. Gao Quanfu, founder of the Light of Zion Church, was detained last year on allegations linked to “superstitious activities.”

His wife, Pang Yu, was later arrested and reportedly denied access to essential medication while in custody. Pastor Jin Mingri, associated with Beijing’s Zion Church, was arrested in October 2025 during a broader crackdown that targeted dozens of church members and clergy.

Gulshan Abbas has spent nearly 3,000 days behind bars, with activists alleging that she was targeted in retaliation for her sister Rushan Abbas’s advocacy work in the United States. Jimmy Lai, the founder of Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, remains imprisoned for his pro-democracy activism and defence of press freedom.

The Senate also unanimously adopted a companion resolution sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz and Dick Durbin. Cruz condemned the Chinese Communist Party as an authoritarian regime that suppresses dissent and religious liberty, while Durbin urged Trump to prioritise the prisoners’ release during talks with Xi, stressing that no individual should face imprisonment for advocating democracy and basic freedoms.

Additional details from congressional debate reveal that Representative Smith highlighted the plight of other Americans detained in China, including Nelson Wells of New Orleans and Dawn Michelle Hunt from Chicago.

He noted that more US nationals are wrongfully detained in China than in any other country, according to the Foley Foundation. Smith also referenced Pastor Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, who has been denied medical care, and underscored that the imprisonment of Gulshan Abbas amounted to hostage-taking, as she was targeted to silence her sister’s advocacy.

He described Jimmy Lai as a courageous defender of democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong, imprisoned for his commitment to freedom of the press.

The resolutions reflect a bipartisan consensus in Washington that human rights must not be side-lined in the pursuit of economic or strategic cooperation with Beijing. They place significant pressure on Trump to raise these cases during his meetings with Xi, even as trade, Taiwan, and Iran dominate the broader agenda of his state visit.

The move underscores Congress’s determination to ensure that the plight of political prisoners remains central to US-China diplomacy at a time of heightened global scrutiny.

ANI