Senators Urge Trump to Raise Prisoner Cases With Xi

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is urging President Donald Trump to press Chinese leader Xi Jinping to release detained religious figures during their planned September 24 summit, citing eight Zion Church colleagues of Pastor Ezra Jin and other named pastors. The summit’s outcome has not been reported. In a letter dated September 22, Sens. Ted Budd, a Republican, and Tim Kaine, a Democrat, asked Trump to make the release of prisoners of conscience a priority and to raise cases involving Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities. Eight other senators signed the letter. It named Gao Quanfu and Tang Bingyi, pastors of the Light of Zion Church, as well as Gao’s wife, Pang Yu. The appeal followed a September 22 hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, where Jin recounted his detention and release. He said eight of his coworkers remained imprisoned and that detainees’ correspondence with family was restricted. Jin also testified that lawyers representing church leaders faced intimidation and other pressure, according to accounts of his remarks. Jin’s release in July followed his detention during a crackdown on church leaders in October 2025.