A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the President should prioritize securing the release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai detained by the People's Republic of China during future engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 677 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 677

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the President should prioritize
 securing the release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his
wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai detained by the People's
 Republic of China during future engagements with Chinese President Xi
                                Jinping.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               April 16 (legislative day, April 14), 2026

Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Schatz,
Mr. McConnell, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Ricketts,
   Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Budd, and Mr. Curtis) submitted the following
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the President should prioritize
 securing the release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his
wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and Jimmy Lai detained by the People's
 Republic of China during future engagements with Chinese President Xi
                                Jinping.

Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has arrested Chinese,
        American, and British citizens for the peaceful expression of speech or
        religion, or such acts by family members;
Whereas such arrests have been widely condemned by the international community
        and human rights organizations, with repeated calls for the release of
        the detainees;
Whereas, on May 17, 2025, Pastor Gao Quanfu of the Light of Zion Church in Xi'an
        Province was detained and is being held on charges of ``using
        superstitious activities to undermine the implementation of law'' and
        ``fraud'';
Whereas Pastor Gao's wife, Pang Yu, who was subsequently detained on June 7,
        2025, remains held despite holding no official position in the church,
        and has been denied access to critical prescription medication;
Whereas, on or about October 10, 2025, authorities of the People's Republic of
        China detained Pastor Jin Mingri, founder of Zion Church, along with
        other church leaders, on equally dubious charges of ``illegal use of
        information networks'';
Whereas Pastor Jin continues to be detained without access to critical
        medications to treat diabetes or contact with family members in the
        People's Republic of China and the United States;
Whereas, on November 7, 2025, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution
        463, calling for the ``immediate and unconditional release of all
        detained members of Zion Church, including Pastor Jin'' and for the
        Government of the People's Republic of China to end ``harassment and
        intimidation of the relatives of Zion church members and their
        relatives'';
Whereas Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor and grandmother, was forcibly
        disappeared on September 11, 2018, shortly after her sister, a United
        States citizen, publicly criticized the treatment of Uyghurs by the
        Government of the People's Republic of China;
Whereas Dr. Abbas was later sentenced to 20 years following secret proceedings
        on charges that independent observers and human rights organizations
        have characterized as politically motivated;
Whereas the prolonged detention of Dr. Abbas raises grave concerns regarding her
        health, wellbeing, and access to due process, as she suffers from severe
        high blood pressure and osteoporosis, among other conditions;
Whereas, on July 25, 2024, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate
        unanimously passed an amendment to Senate Bill 4797, 118th Congress,
        restricting United States visas for ``Government officials of the
        People's Republic of China about whom the Secretary of State has
        credible information have been involved in the wrongful detention of
        Gulshan Abbas'';
Whereas, in 1995, Jimmy Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong and
        subsequently faced repeated harassment and arrest, including a 69 month
        sentence in 2022, on dubious fraud charges and a subsequent 20 year
        sentence in February 2026, on equally dubious national security charges;
Whereas, in December 2025, President Donald Trump said he had asked Chinese
        President Xi Jinping to consider releasing Jimmy Lai;
Whereas, on December 4, 2025, House Resolution 930 was introduced commemorating
        Jimmy Lai and calling on authorities of the People's Republic of China
        to ``immediately and unconditionally release Jimmy Lai and all other
        Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates unjustly imprisoned''; and
Whereas addressing individual cases of wrongful detention has historically been
        an important component of United States diplomacy, reflects longstanding
        bipartisan commitments to political and religious freedoms, and is an
        important factor in United States bilateral relations: Now, therefore,
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) calls upon the President to prioritize securing the
        humanitarian release of Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu
        and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, Jimmy Lai, and other
        wrongly detained individuals on the agenda for engagements with
        President Xi Jinping, including the anticipated May 2026
        summit;
            (2) urges the President to seek verifiable proof of life
        and access to independent legal counsel, family communication,
        and medical care for such detainees; and
            (3) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to defend
        political and religious freedom and advocate for the release of
        those wrongfully detained for exercising such fundamental
        freedoms.
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