The Congressional-Executive Commission on China urged the president on May 11 to raise the cases of political prisoners and unjustly detained Americans in high-level discussions with Chinese officials. The call came in a letter joined by CECC Ranking Members Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative James McGovern.
The commission said this issue is important because of what it described as an increasing threat to American interests from the Chinese Communist Party’s use of hostage diplomacy, coercive exit bans, and transnational repression against U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their families.
The commissioners commended the president’s willingness to bring up the case of Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai and his commitment to seeking the release of Americans Nelson Wells, Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt. They also highlighted four representative cases: Pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, Ekpar Asat, and Gao Zhen—all individuals reportedly detained or punished for their connections to advocacy or activities related to the United States.
“The CCP is not only punishing an individual. It is sending a message both at home and abroad that it can control the lives of people in China and reach into American families and influence conduct in the United States,” the letter states. The chairs further say that “the United States will address arbitrary detention and family intimidation in the normal course of bilateral relations.”
In addition to urging direct advocacy for these individuals during talks with General Secretary Xi Jinping, commissioners recommended that the Department of State keep a regularly updated priority list of political prisoner and exit-ban cases for senior diplomatic engagements—including those involving unjustly detained Americans or prisoners with close U.S. family ties.
Raising individual cases publicly or privately can help protect American citizens while increasing costs for Chinese authorities who engage in such repression, according to commission members.
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China promotes awareness of human rights issues through public hearings, resources, annual reports with policy recommendations, monitoring developments within China under leadership from both chambers of Congress—as detailed on its official website.
