Religious freedom advocates have expressed sharp disappointment after President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping did not publicly address the ongoing persecution of Christians in China during their high-level White House meeting on September 24. While discussions between the two world leaders centered heavily on artificial intelligence and bilateral trade relationships, there is no indication that the plight of detained believers and shuttered churches was part of the agenda, leaving advocates searching for diplomatic pressure.
Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs voiced his frustration with the outcome of the Washington summit in an interview with CBN News. Nettleton and various religious freedom advocates had actively urged the U.S. administration to prioritize China’s mistreatment of Christians during the diplomatic encounter, viewing the face-to-face talks as a critical window to advocate for prisoners of conscience.
I’m disappointed,
Nettleton told CBN News, reflecting on the September 24 discussions. I had hoped that that topic would come up. I think every time one of our leaders here in the United States gets to sit down with the leader of a country where our brothers and sisters are being locked up in prison, are being persecuted for their faith, I hope they’re on the agenda at some point. Now, there’s obviously things that needed to be talked about. AI needed to be talked about, trade relationships needed to be talked about, but I hope every time we get an opportunity to bring up religious freedom, that it is part of the discussion.
US Senators Demand Release of Zion Church Leaders
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators pressed the administration to demand the release of detained pastors and other incarcerated believers. Lawmakers highlighted ongoing crackdowns against independent congregations, pointing specifically to continued detentions tied to Zion Church.
To this date, eight leaders of Zion Church remain behind bars in China because of China’s attack on religious freedom,
said Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC). These detainments are egregious, and they can’t be ignored.
Diplomatic pressure from Washington has occasionally yielded tangible results. Pastor Ezra Jin, the founder of Zion Church, secured his release in July following a direct diplomatic push by President Trump during a previous summit with President Xi in Beijing. Reflecting on his freedom after the intervention, Jin acknowledged the impact of high-level diplomacy.
I’m very grateful that during last summit in Beijing, President Trump mentioned my case to President Xi, now I’m free,
Jin said in an interview following his release.
Surging Surveillance and the Case of Pastor John Cao
Despite isolated releases, religious persecution across China has intensified through aggressive state crackdowns and pervasive digital monitoring. State authorities have increasingly targeted both unregistered house churches and government-sanctioned congregations.
You have churches being raided by the police and shut down,
Nettleton said. You have churches being forced to put cameras in, even registered churches, being forced to put cameras in their sanctuaries to monitor who’s there, what’s going on, what’s being said.
More than 200 church leaders remain imprisoned across the country. Among the most urgent cases is Pastor John Cao, a 67-year-old church leader who completed a seven-year prison sentence but continues to face severe travel restrictions imposed by Chinese authorities.
He served his full seven-year prison sentence, but since his release from prison, he’s just in a bigger prison,
Nettleton noted. He has not been allowed to leave China. He has not been given a passport, even though he has a green card to the U.S. His wife is an American citizen, and also, he is suffering from late-stage prostate cancer. So not only is he locked in China, but it seems like unless the Lord intervenes, his days are limited.
Since his release from prison in 2024, Pastor Cao has pushed urgently to return to his family in the United States, but prolonged passport processing has stalled his departure. In response to the growing crisis, advocates are urging American believers to maintain public awareness and intercession for congregations facing state pressure.
We want to encourage people to pray, and that’s what persecuted Christians ask us to do,
Nettleton said. I also think as American citizens, we want to let our leaders know this is something we care about.
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