Pastor John Cao remains in China despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

Chinese Christian pastor John Cao has been diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, including a spinal tumor and spread to the bone marrow, while remaining unable to leave China. Despite completing a seven-year prison sentence in March 2024, Cao has been prevented from traveling to the United States to reunite with his family and seek medical treatment due to his inability to obtain a passport.

Cao, a U.S. permanent resident, was originally arrested in March 2017 while returning from missionary work in Myanmar. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, a detention that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention later determined violated his rights. Following his release, he was reportedly subjected to five years of ‘Thought Reform.’

In April 2026, Cao applied for a passport on humanitarian grounds. While his wife and children have since traveled to China to visit him, he remains restricted from returning to the United States.