US lawmakers call on White House to press China over detention and Exit-Ban cases involving American citizens

WASHINGTON, DC: The leadership of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) has urged the US administration to take up the cases of American citizens unjustly detained or subjected to exit bans in China, describing Beijing’s actions as part of a “systemic tool of coercion and hostage-taking”.

In a joint letter addressed to the President, Senator Dan Sullivan, Chairman of the CECC, Representative Christopher H Smith, Co-Chair, and Representative John Moolenaar, Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, thanked the administration for its continued commitment to securing the release of wrongfully detained Americans and reuniting families separated by coercion and violence. They called for the issue to be raised directly with Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping at the next opportunity.

The lawmakers asserted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has become “the world’s largest hostage-taker”, accusing it of using detentions and exit bans to punish and censor Americans, gain leverage over US businesses, and influence US policy.

The letter emphasised that these practices disproportionately affect Chinese-American and Uyghur-American communities and are carried out with impunity.

The Commission specifically asked the President to draw attention to the cases of Nelson Wells Jr and Dawn Michelle Hunt, both incarcerated for more than a decade following arrests and trials that reportedly lacked due process. Each has endured mistreatment and now suffers from serious medical conditions requiring urgent care. Their families, comprising US military veterans and law-enforcement personnel, have sought humanitarian transfer or release.

Alongside these cases, the lawmakers urged the administration to address the widespread use of “exit bans” that prevent American citizens and their family members from leaving China. They cited reports indicating that tens of thousands of such bans are imposed annually. While most cases remain unpublicised, the letter mentioned the recent lifting of the exit ban on Wells Fargo executive Chenyue (Jesse) Mao as an example of progress achieved through persistent diplomacy.

Two ongoing cases were highlighted as evidence of the CCP’s expanding use of exit bans: Gao Zhen, a U.S. lawful permanent resident and artist, detained over artwork disfavoured by the CCP, whose U.S.-citizen son and wife are barred from leaving China; and a US government employee, travelling in a personal capacity, who has also been subjected to an exit ban. The lawmakers said these cases show that even Americans in public service are not spared.

The letter also condemned the CCP’s detention of individuals as retaliation against their US-based family members or to silence criticism of the Chinese government. It cited the harassment of relatives of Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur Service journalists and the continued imprisonment of Gulshan Abbas as examples of Beijing’s retaliatory tactics intended to suppress free speech.

The lawmakers underscored the importance of humanitarian and diplomatic efforts to secure the release of these individuals, stressing that American citizens should never be used as bargaining chips in U.S.-China relations. They urged the administration to meet privately with affected families, expand consular access and medical oversight, and pursue all available avenues for humanitarian release, medical parole, or prisoner transfers.

The letter called for coordination with US allies facing similar challenges and the use of existing legal authorities under Executive Orders 14348 and 14078 to ensure accountability for those responsible for unjust detentions, mistreatment, and exit-ban practices.

“We are grateful for your unwavering dedication to reuniting American families,” the lawmakers wrote. “We would appreciate continued top-level engagement until all hostages are liberated, and their families are free from fear, worry, coercion, and censorship imposed on them by the Chinese Communist Party.”

In conclusion, the lawmakers stated that a list of names and case details had been provided to the White House, with certain information withheld from publication at the request of families fearing retaliation against detained relatives in China. A confidential annexe of names was included for consideration.

The letter, dated October 22, 2025, was signed by Senator Dan Sullivan, Representative Chris Smith, and Representative John Moolenaar, reaffirming their commitment to work closely with the administration to address what they described as “unjust detentions, mistreatment, and exit-ban hostage-taking” by the Chinese government. (ANI)