The founder of Christian human rights organization ChinaAid is raising concerns over the health of an imprisoned Chinese pastor who may be suffering from advanced liver cancer, as his family continues to face restrictions on visitation adn access to medical information.
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family → raise → information
Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid, told Fox News in an interview that reports concerning Pastor Wang Yi's health are "very worrying," citing information received from multiple sources inside China.
Wang, the founding pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, has been imprisoned since December 2018 and is serving a nine-year sentence on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations.
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reports → tell → power
Although Fu believes that reports of advanced liver cancer are credible, he acknowledged that his organization has not been able to independently confirm the diagnosis.
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organization → believe → diagnosis
Fu said ChinaAid was "not able to really independently verify" the reports, citing restrictions on access to Wang and the absence of an independent medical examination.
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ChinaAid → say → examination
The organization first publicly raised concerns about Wang's condition on Sept. 28, calling on Chinese authorities to provide his family with access to him and disclose information about his medical treatment.
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organization → raise → treatment
During the interview, Fu revealed that authorities reportedly provided information by telephone about medical examination they claimed had been conducted on Oct. 1.
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they → reveal → Oct.
According to Fu, prison officials cited medical information indicating Wang was in good health.
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Wang → accord → health
However, his family has not been permitted a new in-person visit to independently assess his condition.
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family → permit → condition
Fu said that despite repeated letters from Wang's wife and relatives requesting access, "no meeting had been granted at all," since the latest health concerns emerged.
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concerns → say → access
The pastor's church has also expressed uncertainty about his condition.
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church → express → condition
In an Oct. 3 open letter, Early Rain Covenant Church acknowledged the reports but said it could not determine whether Wang had fallen ill.
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Wang → acknowledge → reports
The church called on prison authorities to permit regular family visits, correspondence and telephone calls, as well as provide information about any necessary medical care.
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church → call → care
According to the church, Wang's family has been permitted fewer than five visits during nearly eight years of imprisonment.
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family → accord → imprisonment
Fu likewise described severely restricted visitation, saying meetings have been brief and closely monitored by authorities.
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Fu → describe → authorities
He alleged that discussions concerning Wang's health or religious beliefs have resulted in visits being abruptly terminated.
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visits → allege → health
"Two years, not a single letter for his wife," Fu said, describing the restrictions on communication.
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Fu → say → communication
Wang was arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, during a crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church, an independent Protestant congregation operating outside China's state-regulated religious systems.
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Wang → arrest → systems
In December 2019, a Chinese court sentenced him to nine years in prison.
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court → sentence → prison
The U.S. State Department condemned the conviction at the time, describing the prosecution as connected to Wang's peaceful advocacy for religious freedom and calling for his release.
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Department → condemn → release
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom currently lists Wang as a religious prisoner of conscience and has documented reports of medical neglect.
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Commission → list → neglect
Fu also raised concerns about the treatment of Wang's wife Jiang Rong, who was detained during the initial crackdown.
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who → raise → 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.
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Jiang → say → treatment
Fu said he believes the severity of the reports warrants immediate action, particularly given the limited access to Wang.
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severity → say → 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.
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He → call → 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.
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Fu → express → medication
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.
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what → discuss → Wang
The ChinaAid president urged the Trump administration to raise Wang's case directly with Chinese officials during upcoming diplomatic engagements.
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president → urge → 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.
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names → want → 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.
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Trump → point → 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.
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pressure → believe → 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.
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Trump → expect → 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.
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Fu → urge → prisoners
In a statement to Fox News, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang said the embassy had no information to provide regarding Wang's specific case.
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embassy → say → 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.
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government → defend → affairs
Liu added that China prohibits illegal activities carried out under the guise of religion and opposes foreign interference in its domestic affairs.
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China → add → affairs
The embassy did not directly address questions about Wang's reported medical condition, family visitation or the possibility of an independent medical examination.
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embassy → address → examination
The U.S. State Department did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by publication time.
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Department → respond → time
The Aporia
