President Trump warmly welcomes meeting with President Xi in Beijing
President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing began at Tianmen Square with a grand welcome from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, and Democratic Sen. of Illinois led a bipartisan Senate resolution calling on President Donald Trump to ensure the release of several Chinese political prisoners.
The Senate resolution, passed unanimously on Thursday, May 13, calls on President Trump to prioritize securing the release of political prisoners during this trip to China, including Pastor Jin Mingli, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife, Pan Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai.
“The Chinese Communist Party is a dictatorship that imprisons dissidents, silences religious believers, and violates fundamental freedoms,” Cruz said in a statement. “The Senate’s passage of this bipartisan resolution underscores that the United States will continue to fight to secure the release of those wrongfully detained and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for these detentions.”
USA TODAY reported that President Trump hinted at plans to raise the issue of Mr. Mingli and Mr. Lai’s detention during a visit to President Xi Jinping before departing for China on Tuesday.
President Trump said of Lai on May 11, “The people want him out, and I want to see him out, so I’m going to bring him up again.”
After Senate Resolution 728 passed, author Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a statement, “No one should fear life or political imprisonment for standing up for democracy and freedom.”
“While the Chinese have cooperated with my office in the past and made several important moves, the time has come to immediately release Dr. Gulshan Abbas, Pastor Jin Minli, Pastor Gao Quanfu and Pan Yu, and Pastor Jimmy Lai,” he said in a statement. “We urge President Trump to raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visits China in the near future.”
Who are the Chinese political prisoners that President Trump is seeking to release?
According to the resolution, the following are the individuals the Senate is asking President Trump to release:
- Pastor Takaizumi Fuku — Part of the Light of Zion Church in Xi’an was detained on May 17, 2025is being held on charges of “using superstitious activities to undermine law enforcement” and “fraud.”
- pan you – Gao’s wife was detained on June 7, 2025, and continues to be detained despite not holding any position within the church, and has been denied access to vital prescription medication.
- Pastor Jin Minli — Founder of the Church of Zion, detained on October 10, 2025 on charges of “illegal use of information networks.”
- Dr. Gulshan Abbas —The girlfriend of a former doctor was “forced disappeared” on September 11, 2018, shortly after her sister, a U.S. citizen, publicly criticized the treatment of Uyghurs by Chinese authorities. She was later sentenced to 20 years in prison following a “secret case on charges that independent monitors and human rights groups have identified as politically motivated.”
- Jimmy Lai — Founder of Apple Daily in Hong Kong. In February 2026, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison on national security charges.
The resolution also includes “other wrongfully detained individuals” but does not provide further details. It also calls on President Trump to “require verifiable proof of survival and access to independent legal counsel, family contact, and medical care for such detainees.”
Mateo Rosiles is a Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and local Texas newspapers. Do you have any news tips for him? Email us at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
