Members of Congress Call on Beijing to Release Prisoners of Conscience

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]Next, members of Congress are increasingly focused on China ahead of a scheduled meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

[00:00:08]Lawmakers are pushing for the release of prisoners of conscience held by the regime while raising concerns about alleged Chinese espionage which targets Capitol Hill. And this is Chris Chris Bob reports on that.

[00:00:21]This is a picture of Jimmy Lai in trial in China.

[00:00:26]You know what he's accused of?

[00:00:27]Fighting for freedom and democracy.

[00:00:30]Right? So, Xi put him in prison, solitary confinement for 5 years, and then in a kangaroo court gave him another 20 years. That's a death sentence for somebody 78 years old. The only thing Jimmy did was care about freedom and democracy. A new House resolution introduced by Representative Chris Smith calls on President Trump to prioritize the release of multiple detainees during his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. They include Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas, and several Christian pastors imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party. A separate bipartisan letter from the House Select Committee on the CCP praised what it calls the president's quote, "Strong commitment to securing the release of unjustly detained Americans." The letter says, quote, "Publicly and privately raising the names of individual victims at the highest levels will help protect American citizens and businesses in China and deny the CCP the ability to use human beings as bargaining chips."

[00:01:30]Trump reinforcing that message Monday saying he plans to again raise the case of Jimmy Lai and a detained pastor as well. The House panel's letter calls out the CCP's use of transnational repression saying, quote, "The CCP's repression does not stop at China's borders. It is designed to pressure people in the United States, chill speech and advocacy on US soil, and demonstrate that the party can impose costs on Americans and their loved ones with impunity." Monday, the Committee on the CCP revealed what it described as an apparent Chinese intelligence recruitment attempt targeting a congressional staffer. The panel posting on X, quote, "A would-be spy offered a staffer on @ChinaSelect $10,000 for insider information on US policy." Our staffer's response, "Report it, document it, and expose it." And adding, quote, "This is exactly why the Select Committee on China exists, to shine a light CCP's efforts to infiltrate our institutions and to fight to protect US national security. From Mother's Day, House Speaker Mike Johnson posting on X about imprisoned Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas, quote, "We think of Ziba, Dr. Abbas' daughter, and others who won't be able to celebrate with their mothers.

[00:02:43]And we stand with her in calling on the CCP to free Dr. Abbas. The United States will always stand for human rights and freedom." So, President Trump's on board. We've got to do everything we can to get Jimmy Lai released. The House resolution also calls on the Trump administration to seek proof detainees are alive, ensure that China provides them with access to lawyers and medical care, and maintain pressure on Beijing on matters involving religious liberty and political freedom.

[00:03:14]The vote is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

[00:03:16]Chris Bob, NTD News.