Pastor John Cao says he has applied for a passport five times since completing his seven-year prison sentence—and that his latest attempt was rejected only days before a September 2026 interview. The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) urged President Donald Trump to ask Chinese President Xi Jinping directly to let Cao return to the United States for cancer treatment during their September 24–26 meetings. No passport action has been publicly reported.
Cao, 67, told ChinaAid that every application had reached a “dead end.” Describing his health and faith, he said that his life “might be in its last stage.”
A direct appeal before the Trump–Xi meetings
CeCe Heil, senior counsel with the ACLJ, told The National News Desk on September 23 that she wanted Trump to raise Cao’s case personally with Xi. Her appeal was blunt: “I’m going to need my guy back home.”
The ACLJ says Cao has stage-four prostate cancer that has spread to his bones and spine, and that a recent update also indicates pancreatic involvement. These medical details are attributed to the ACLJ and Heil; FreeChina.live has not independently reviewed Cao’s medical records.
Sentence completed, but no passport
- Cao completed his full seven-year sentence on March 5, 2024. Chinese authorities arrested him in March 2017 after he crossed the China–Myanmar border, where he had helped build schools for impoverished children.
- Chinese authorities accused him of organizing illegal border crossings. Beijing has characterized the case as a border-law matter rather than religious persecution.
- In Opinion No. 35/2019, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Cao’s detention was arbitrary and found violations involving fair-trial and religious-freedom rights.
- According to the ACLJ, authorities have relied on Article 14 of China’s Passport Law to withhold his passport, potentially preventing departure until March 2027.
- Cao is a U.S. permanent resident with a valid green card. His wife, Jamie Powell, and their two adult sons are U.S. citizens living in North Carolina. ChinaAid reports that he lives with his elderly mother in Changsha and relies partly on fellow Christians for medical expenses.
Heil said she has worked with the U.S. State Department on Cao’s case since 2018 and that members of Congress know about his condition. A joint ChinaAid–Revelation Media campaign launched on August 16 seeks 100,000 signatures calling for Cao’s return; Baptist Press reported more than 13,000 signatures by August 21.
Free China Movement position
A U.S. permanent resident who has completed his sentence and is fighting late-stage cancer should be allowed to travel home for oncology care. The Free China Movement urges the U.S. government to make Cao’s passport case a direct demand in its dealings with the Chinese leadership, and urges Beijing to issue the passport immediately and without conditions.
Update status, September 26, 2026: No action on Cao’s passport has been publicly reported following the September 24–26 Trump–Xi meetings, and whether his case was raised remains unconfirmed. Cao’s account of five unsuccessful applications indicates that the travel restriction remains in force. FreeChina.live will update this report if the White House, the U.S. State Department, Chinese authorities or credible independent reporting provides new information.
Related reading
- Free China Movement Urges Mainland Chinese Authorities to Let Pastor John Cao Reunite With His Family as He Faces Late-Stage Cancer
- Rapid Response: White House Summit Readout Omits Political Prisoners
Sources
- The National News Desk / Fox49, September 23, 2026.
- ChinaAid: campaign announcement, August 16, 2026.
- Baptist Press, August 21, 2026.
- ChinaAid: interview with John Cao, September 2026.