The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged President Donald Trump to push for the release of religious prisoners in China and for the end of religious persecution by the Chinese government.
The commission called on Trump to continue his efforts for the release of the prisoners ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to the U.S. on Sept. 24.
USCIRF called for the release of Catholic pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, numerous Christian leaders, and others in prison for practicing their religious beliefs.
“President Trump boldly demonstrated to President Xi during their meeting in Beijing earlier this year that the United States stands for religious freedom by calling for the release of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) prisoners,” said Asif Mahmood, chair of USCIRF.
“Speaking up again sends a clear and consistent signal that religious freedom for all is a priority for the United States and that it expects the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] to respect its population rather than persecute millions for practicing their faith,” he said.
The commission highlighted that after a direct appeal by Trump, Chinese authorities previously freed former prisoner Pastor Ezra Jin of the Zion Church in July. He was permitted to relocate to the United States and reunite with his family.
While Jin was released, eight other Zion Church leaders who were arrested alongside him remain detained.
“In releasing Pastor Jin, President Xi showed that he has the power to release FoRB prisoners if he so desires—and indeed he has an obligation to do so under international law,” said Cece Heil, vice chair of USCIRF.
USCIRF detailed the other leaders whose release the commission is urging and is asking Trump “to seize the opportunity during his upcoming summit with President Xi,” Heil said.
They called on Trump to discuss religious leaders including “Gulshan Abbas, Ekpar Asat, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Jimmy Lai, the Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family,” Heil said.
The commission also asked Trump “to urge the Chinese government to provide a passport to U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident, Pastor John Cao and allow him to reunite with his family and seek urgent medical treatment in the United States,” Heil said.
The appeal also precedes a planned hearing on Sept. 16 held by Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, to discuss the release of Lai. Jimmy Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, will offer testimony regarding his father’s immediate release and to examine the broader implications of his continued imprisonment.
In its 2026 annual report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State redesignate China as a country of particular concern (CPC) for engaging “in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom,” according to the commission.
USCIRF urges special watchlist designation for Kyrgyz Republic
In a September report, USCIRF also reaffirmed its call for the Kyrgyz Republic to be placed on the U.S. Department of State’s special watchlist.
The brief was released to highlight “legal restrictions as well as recent violations that Kyrgyz officials have committed against independent Muslims and Christians from unregistered communities,” USCIRF reported.
“The Kyrgyz government regularly violates freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) as laid out in its constitution as well as in international documents such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which it is a signatory,” the report said.
USCIRF detailed that Kyrgyz officials apply a “vague label of extremism” to justify matters such as regularly raiding places of worship, issuing fines, seizing religious materials, imposing prison sentences, forcing individuals to renounce their beliefs, and engaging in physical abuse.
In early 2025, the nation’s president, Sadyr Japarov, amended a restrictive religion law and approved other acts, which significantly tightened state control over religious groups.
“Enforcement of these laws—which often occurs in conjunction with broadly framed anti-extremism statues under the Criminal Code—often involves targeting religious groups that the government considers ‘nontraditional,’ particularly independent Muslims and members of unregistered Christian groups,” the report said.
The commissionʼs report noted that targeted Christian groups often face persecution “from harassment and fines to prison sentences and physical abuse,” according to the report.
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