FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — September 8, 2026
WASHINGTON — The Free China Movement calls on authorities in mainland China to promptly provide Pastor John Cao (Cao Sanqiang) with a written decision explaining the legal basis and duration of the restrictions preventing him from obtaining a passport and leaving mainland China, and to permit him to travel to the United States to reunite with his family and seek medical care as he faces late-stage cancer.
Cao completed a seven-year prison sentence and was released in March 2024. In an August 31 interview with Radio Free Asia, he said he has repeatedly sought a passport since his release but remains unable to obtain one because his name is subject to an exit-control restriction. Cao told RFA that officials have not explained the reason or duration of the restriction. RFA reported that he was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer in April and has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom lists Cao as a released Christian religious leader and records his seven-year imprisonment, March 2024 release and serious cancer-related health concerns. In 2019, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Cao had been singled out because of his Christian faith and that his detention was arbitrary.
Whatever legal provision authorities may believe applies to Cao’s passport or travel status, the government should identify that basis in writing and provide a meaningful avenue for review. Public reporting about possible statutory grounds does not establish which provision, if any, authorities have actually invoked in Cao’s case.
“Pastor John Cao has served his sentence. He is seriously ill, and the authorities should not leave him and his family guessing about an unexplained restriction that keeps them apart,” the Free China Movement said. “The humane course is straightforward: provide the written legal basis and review process, remove any restriction that is not lawfully necessary, and allow him to reunite with his family and obtain the medical care he seeks.”
Cao’s case raises concerns extending beyond one family. Post-sentence restrictions that are opaque, indefinite in practice, or difficult to challenge can prolong punishment after imprisonment has ended. Transparent written decisions and meaningful review are basic safeguards against arbitrary restrictions on freedom of movement.
Free China Movement calls for
- Prompt issuance to Cao of a written decision stating the specific legal basis, responsible authority and duration of any passport or exit restriction.
- Access to an effective administrative or judicial review process.
- Humanitarian permission for Cao to travel to the United States for family reunion and medical care, absent a specific, lawful and reviewable necessity for continued restriction.
- U.S. officials and other concerned governments to raise Cao’s case in appropriate human-rights and diplomatic engagements.
Sources
- Radio Free Asia, August 31, 2026 — interview and report on Cao’s exit restriction, health and family-reunion request.
- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom — John Cao case record.
- United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention — Opinion No. 35/2019 concerning Cao Sanqiang (John Cao).
- ChinaAid, April 24, 2026 — report on Cao’s cancer diagnosis and hospitalization.
Related FreeChina.live coverage: Pastor John Cao, Facing Late-Stage Cancer, Says PRC Authorities in Mainland China Still Bar Him From Reuniting With Family in the U.S.