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In 2017, Pastor John Cao was arrested by Chinese authorities for allegedly "organizing illegal border crossings." Sentenced to seven years in prison, he was finally freed in March 2024. Following his release, Pastor John hoped to reunite with his wife and two children in the United States, where he holds permanent residency. However, Chinese authorities have withheld the church leader's passport, forcing him to remain in China. (For more details, see our previously published report.)

In March 2017, Pastor John Cao was arrested by Chinese authorities for allegedly "organizing illegal border crossings" while conducting ministry work along the border between China and Myanmar. Sentenced to seven years in prison, he was finally released in March 2024. (For more information on the church leader's arrest, see this list.)

On March 4th, Pastor John Cao was released from imprisonment in China after serving a seven-year sentence. Since his release, the pastor has longed to return to the United States, where he holds permanent residency, in order to reunite with his wife and family there. However, the Chinese government has prevented Pastor John from leaving the country by withholding his ID card and passport. (Read more.)

After serving seven years in a Chinese prison, Pastor John Cao was finally released on March 4th of this year (see this page). Despite his release from custody, the Christian leader is not truly free, as the authorities are refusing to give him an ID card and passport. According to Todd Nettleton from the Voice of the Martyrs USA, an ID card is required for most transactions in China – whether it involves travel or making a doctor's appointment. "You can be arrested if the police ask you for an ID card and you don't have one," he explains.

Originally from Hunan province, Pastor John Cao is a permanent resident of the United States and also happens to be married to an American citizen. Before his arrest, he served as a missionary in Myanmar's Wa State, building schools and caring for impoverished people in the region. As part of his ministry work, Pastor John frequently crossed the border between China and Myanmar. The Christian leader was able to continue his ministry activities for three years without encountering any problems from the authorities.

While John Cao, a Chinese pastor from North Carolina, was working along the border between China and Myanmar, he established 16 schools – providing education to more than 2,000 children. However, in 2017, the Chinese government accused him of "organizing illegal border crossings" between the two countries. In 2018, he was sentenced to seven years in prison, along with a fine (see this report).

In a recent letter from prison, Pastor John Cao was able to report that he is in good health and his blood pressure is now normal. While missing family and friends around the world, he asked his mother to pass along greetings, stating that he has not stopped interceding for the health, peace and faith of others.

In March 2017, Cao San-Qiang (John Cao) was detained and accused of "organizing illegal border crossings" between Myanmar and China. Pastor Cao, who is married to an American citizen, has been a long-time resident of North Carolina. Well known for his humanitarian work among the poor in Myanmar's Wa State, he has built 16 schools that serve 2,000 impoverished children.

After President Xi Jinping was granted a tenure of life in power, he suddenly increased his efforts to suppress religion. Missionaries serving within the country are frequently perceived as foreign spies. Todd Nettleton from VOM USA reports that a number of foreign workers in China have found their visas rejected at the time of renewal.

Two leaders of an American organization that supplies workers to teach English in China were arrested in September, based on claims that they had illegally moved people across borders. These accusations are similar to those facing Pastor John Cao, an American missionary who was sentenced to seven years in prison for allegedly smuggling people across the China/Myanmar border. For more information on Pastor Cao, read this report. To write him an encouraging letter, visit his profile on PrisonerAlert.com.

It was recently reported that the appeal hearing for American/Chinese pastor John Cao had been cancelled, for the court was to instead make its decision based solely on written submissions (see this report). On July 25th, the outcome of the court's decision was to uphold the original seven-year sentence. Due to a heavy police presence, only Pastor John Cao's elderly mother and sister, along with his lawyer, were allowed to hear the verdict.