Pastor Cao Sanqiang told RFA that he remains under an unexplained exit restriction more than two years after completing a seven-year prison term. He says he was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer in April and hopes to reunite with family in the United States. ChinaAid and USCIRF provide additional public documentation of his health and post-release restrictions.
Why It Matters
The case raises questions about indefinite post-sentence travel restrictions, religious freedom, family unity and humanitarian treatment.
Free China Editorial / Analysis
Completing a prison sentence should end the punishment. If authorities continue restricting a former prisoner’s movement, the legal basis and duration should be transparent and reviewable. Cao should be allowed to reunite with his family and seek care abroad if medically able to travel.
September 22, 2026 update
In a September 22 interview published by ChinaAid, Cao said his stage 4 prostate cancer had spread to his bones and spine and that he had undergone chemotherapy and radiation. ChinaAid reported that he lives in Changsha with his 90-year-old mother and relies on fellow Christians to help cover medical expenses. His wife and two adult sons live in North Carolina, and Cao said he has never met his one-year-old grandson.
Cao said he has made five passport applications, including one as recently as the previous week, but has never received a clear answer about how long he will be barred from leaving China, describing the process as a “dead end.” ChinaAid and other religious-freedom groups were urging President Donald Trump to raise Cao’s case with Xi Jinping during the planned September 24 Washington visit; ChinaAid said tens of thousands had signed petitions supporting family reunification.
Sources
- Radio Free Asia, August 31, 2026, direct interview/report.
- ChinaAid, September 22, 2026.
- ChinaAid, April 24, 2026.
- USCIRF FoRB Victims Database, John Cao.
- UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Opinion No. 35/2019.