Advocates Petition Trump to Bring Terminally Ill Pastor John Cao Home From China

Pastor John Cao, 67, is living under government surveillance in Changsha, China, while fighting stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his spine. He has been barred from leaving the country since his release from prison in March 2024, because Chinese authorities have withheld his passport.

Cao, a permanent U.S. resident who moved to North Carolina in 1985, was arrested in March 2017 while crossing the border into China. He was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of "organizing illegal border crossings," a charge stemming from his mission work in the Wa State of Myanmar, where he helped build 17 schools and a drug rehabilitation center.

He was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in April 2026. The cancer has metastasized to his spine. He has undergone chemotherapy and radiation, but his condition remains severe. During a hospital stay in April, he was able to meet his wife and children for the first time in nine years. He has not yet met his one-year-old grandson.

ChinaAid and RevelationMedia launched a petition campaign this week, aiming to gather 100,000 signatures before President Trump's scheduled meeting with President Xi Jinping on September 24, 2026. Advocates are asking Trump to raise Cao's case directly with Xi and press for the return of his passport.

"This is a humanitarian matter, not a political one," said Sam Brownback, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. "He has served his full sentence. He simply wants to go home to his family."

Supporters point to a precedent from July 2026, when Trump's intervention reportedly led to the release of Chinese house church leader Jin "Ezra" Mingri. They hope a similar appeal could secure Cao's return before his health deteriorates further.

Cao's wife, Jamie Powell, and their children remain in the United States. His supporters say time is running out.