The founder of the Christian human rights organization ChinaAid is warning about the health of imprisoned Chinese pastor Wang Yi, who may have advanced liver cancer. His family continues to face restrictions on prison visits and access to medical information.
Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, ChinaAid’s founder and president, told Fox News that reports about Wang’s condition are “very worrying.” He said the organization received the information from multiple sources inside China.
Wang, the founding pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, has been imprisoned since December 2018. He is serving a nine-year sentence after being convicted of inciting subversion of state power and conducting illegal business operations.
Fu said he believes the reports of advanced liver cancer are credible, but acknowledged that ChinaAid has been unable to independently confirm the diagnosis.
ChinaAid President Bob Fu urged the Trump administration to press Chinese officials for answers about imprisoned pastor Wang Yi’s health and restricted family visits. (ChinaAid)
ChinaAid has been “not able to really independently verify” the reports, Fu said, citing limits on access to Wang and the lack of an independent medical examination.
The organization first raised public concerns about Wang’s health on Sept. 28. It called on Chinese authorities to allow his family to see him and release information about his medical treatment.
Fu said authorities later provided information by telephone about a medical examination they reportedly conducted on Oct. 1.
According to Fu, prison officials cited medical information that purportedly showed Wang was in good health. His family, however, has not been allowed another in-person visit to assess his condition for themselves.
Fu said Wang’s wife and relatives have sent repeated letters seeking access, but “no meeting had been granted at all” since the latest concerns about his health emerged.
Wang’s church has also said it does not know the true state of his health.
Pastor Wang Yi’s family has been denied a new prison visit following reports of a possible cancer diagnosis, according to ChinaAid President Bob Fu. (ERCC/Facebook)
In an open letter dated Oct. 3, Early Rain Covenant Church acknowledged the reports but said it could not determine whether Wang was ill. The church urged prison officials to allow regular family visits, correspondence and phone calls, while also disclosing any medical care he may require.
The church said Wang’s family has been allowed fewer than five visits throughout nearly eight years of his imprisonment.
Fu also described Wang’s visitation conditions as severely restricted. He said meetings have been short and closely monitored, and alleged that visits have been abruptly ended when relatives raised questions about Wang’s health or religious beliefs.
“Two years, not a single letter for his wife,” Fu said, describing the limits placed on Wang’s communication with his family.
“That’s not acceptable. That’s even a violation of its own law.”
Wang was arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, as authorities carried out a crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church, an independent Protestant congregation that operates outside China’s state-controlled religious system.
A Chinese court sentenced Wang to nine years in prison in December 2019. The U.S. State Department condemned the conviction, saying the case was tied to Wang’s peaceful advocacy for religious freedom and calling for his release.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom currently identifies Wang as a religious prisoner of conscience and has documented allegations of medical neglect.
Fu also raised concerns about the treatment of Wang’s wife Jiang Rong, who was detained during the initial crackdown.
He said Jiang had previously been subjected to residential surveillance at a police-arranged location, rather than being allowed to remain in her own home, and described the lasting emotional consequences of her treatment.
Fu said he believes the severity of the reports warrants immediate action, particularly given the limited access to Wang.
He called on the Chinese authorities to permit Wang’s wife, son and elderly parents to meet with him privately, allow an independent medical examination in the presence of legal counsel, and release his medical records, including information concerning medications administered during his imprisonment.
Fu also expressed concern about reports of mistreatment of other prisoners of conscience, including allegations of forced medication and serious physical and psychological harm. Those allegations were discussed as part of his broader concerns about the treatment of detainees in China, rather than as established evidence of what has happened to Wang.
Chinese pastor Wang Yi has been imprisoned since December 2018, when authorities arrested him during a crackdown on his independent Protestant church in Chengdu. (ERCC/Facebook)
The ChinaAid president urged the Trump administration to raise Wang’s case directly with Chinese officials during upcoming diplomatic engagements.
“I really want to see the Trump administration to continue to speak up forcefully,” Fu told Fox News, calling for the names of individual prisoners of conscience to be included in high-level discussions.
He pointed to the July release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who was reunited with his family after President Donald Trump raised his case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a May visit to Beijing.
Fu believes that example demonstrates the potential importance of direct diplomatic intervention, although the circumstances of Jin’s release do not establish that such pressure would produce the same result in Wang’s case.
Trump and Xi are expected to attend upcoming international summits, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leader’s meeting in Shenzhen, China, in November and the G-20 summit in Miami in December.
Fu urged U.S. leaders not to allow trade and security negotiations to overshadow concerns about religious freedom, human rights and the treatment of prisoners.
“I think it’s time to hold them accountable,” Fu said.
In a statement to Fox News, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang said the embassy had no information to provide regarding Wang’s specific case.
The spokesperson defended China’s religious policies, saying the government protects freedom of religious belief under Chinese law and does not interfere in religious groups’ internal affairs.
Liu added that China prohibits illegal activities carried out under the guise of religion and opposes foreign interference in its domestic affairs.
The embassy did not directly address questions about Wang’s reported medical condition, family visitation or the possibility of an independent medical examination.
The U.S. State Department did not respond to News Outlet’s request for comment by publication time.
