Rep. Robert Pittenger
WASHINGTON – For the past three years, Greensboro, N.C. pastor Reverend John Cao has worked to build 16 schools for impoverished ethnic minorities near the China-Myanmar border.
This year, Rev. Cao began to face pressure from the Chinese government, including travel restrictions and the forced closure of some schools. He was arrested for “illegal border crossing” on March 5th, despite previously having traveled between Myanmar and China without trouble as part of his humanitarian work.
This week, Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) and Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), who serve together on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, wrote Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to ask that the State Department prioritize Rev. Cao’s case. Their letter was co-signed by Congressman Mark Walker (NC-06), Congressman George Holding (NC-02), Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07), and Congressman Randy Hultgren (IL-14).
“We write to you as Commissioners of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and as members of the North Carolina congressional delegation to bring to your attention the case of Reverend Cao Sanqiang (John Cao), a U.S. legal permanent resident and Christian missionary who was arrested in China on March 5, 2017. We respectfully ask that the State Department prioritize Reverend Cao’s case because he is a long-time resident in the United States and because his humanitarian and missionary work has benefited U.S.-Burma relations.
“Reverend Cao has been a U.S. legal permanent resident since 1990 and is married to U.S. citizen Jamie Powell, with whom he has two grown children. The family resides in Greensboro, North Carolina where Reverend Cao has pastored churches and lead ministries to international students. He has also worked internationally, conducting humanitarian projects in Burma (Myanmar) and China’s Yunnan province for over a decade.”
A complete copy of Congressmen Pittenger and Smith’s letter to Secretary Tillerson is attached.
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