The founder of Christian human rights organization ChinaAid is warning about the health of imprisoned Chinese pastor Wang Yi, who may have advanced liver cancer as his family remains barred from visiting him and accessing medical information.
Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, ChinaAid’s founder and president, told Fox News that reports about Wang’s condition are “very worrying,” citing information from multiple sources inside China.
Wang, 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 illegal business operations.
Fu said he believes reports that Wang has 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 seek answers from Chinese officials about imprisoned pastor Wang Yi’s health and restrictions on family visits. (ChinaAid)
Fu said ChinaAid was “not able to really independently verify” the reports because access to Wang is restricted and he has not received an independent medical examination.
ChinaAid first raised public concerns about Wang’s health on Sept. 28, urging Chinese authorities to allow his family to see him and release details about his medical treatment.
During the interview, Fu said authorities had reportedly provided medical information by telephone, claiming that Wang underwent an examination on Oct. 1.
According to Fu, prison officials said the examination showed Wang was in good health. His family, however, has not been allowed a new in-person visit to assess his condition for themselves.
Fu said Wang’s wife and other relatives have sent repeated letters requesting access, but “no meeting had been granted at all” since the latest health concerns emerged.
Wang’s church has also said it remains uncertain about his medical condition.
ChinaAid President Bob Fu said Pastor Wang Yi’s family has been denied another prison visit following reports of a possible cancer diagnosis. (ERCC/Facebook)
In an Oct. 3 open letter, Early Rain Covenant Church acknowledged the reports but said it could not determine whether Wang was ill. The church urged prison authorities to allow regular family visits, correspondence and telephone calls, while also disclosing any medical care he may require.
The church said Wang’s family has been allowed fewer than five visits during his nearly eight years in prison.
Fu also described visitation as severely restricted, saying meetings are brief and closely monitored by authorities. He alleged that visits have been abruptly ended when relatives raise questions about Wang’s health or discuss his religious beliefs.
“Two years, not a single letter for his wife,” Fu said, describing the limits placed on Wang’s communication.
“That’s not acceptable. That’s even a violation of its own law.”
Wang was arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, during a crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church, an independent Protestant congregation operating outside China’s state-controlled religious system.
A Chinese court sentenced him to nine years in prison in December 2019. The U.S. State Department condemned the conviction, saying the prosecution was linked 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 Media’s request for comment by publication time.