By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BEIJING (Worthy News) – Nearly half a year after his release from prison, Chinese Pastor John Cao has still not received identity documents and a passport that would enable him to live normally in China or visit his wife in the United States, Worthy News learned Monday.
“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,” said Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), the advocacy group closely following his case.
An ID card is required for most transactions in Communist-run China – whether it involves travel or a doctor’s appointment. “You can be arrested if the police ask you for an ID card,” added Todd Nettleton, representing Voice Of the Martyrs USA, VOMC’s affiliate.
A photo obtained by Worthy News showed the pastor holding a sign saying: “I am a Chinese citizen, and I love my country, but I don’t have an ID card.”
The apparent refusal by Beijing to provide him with identity papers came as another setback for the devoted Christian, who was released on March 4 after serving seven years on charges that his supporters link to his work as a Christian missionary in neighboring Myanmar, also known as Burma.
“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,” VOMC confirmed.
IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE
“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 activities for three years till March 2017, when he was detained on charges of “illegal border crossings.”
While his colleague, Jing Ruxia, served one year in prison, Pastor John was sentenced to seven years, which he served after losing several appeals, Worthy News established.
Although behind bars, he expressed his faith in Christ in poetry. Advocacy group ChinaAid published a collection of his poems titled ‘Living Lyrics: Poems from Prison.’
Upon his release, Pastor John was escorted from Yunnan province to Changsha, Hunan, as he “hopes to be soon reunited with his family in the United States.”
Yet, he cannot travel to the U.S., where he resides, without travel documents.
PRAYERS URGED
However, local police in Changsha have disclosed that they intend to supervise and “educate” him for five years, according to Christians who are familiar with the case.
VOMC told Worthy News it had urged its supporters to “Pray that God will work mightily within the hearts of governing officials, allowing Pastor Cao to receive the necessary documentation so he can be reunited with his wife in the United States.”
Yet in a recent audio message monitored by Worthy News, the pastor says, “I have been separated from you all for seven years, but these seven years have been filled with joy, filled with God’s grace, and God’s special presence has been with me every day.”
Yet his difficulties highlighted broader concerns about the plight of devoted Christians in China.
Under President Xi Jinping, numerous believers have been jailed, and several churches closed as he seeks to consolidate his power without groups deemed a threat to his leadership, including Christians, observers say.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A growing number of U.S. states are moving to restrict or outright ban the use of microchip implants in the workplace, as advances in biohacking technology raise serious questions about privacy, personal freedom, and the future of human identity.
President Donald Trump has put forward a bold $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027, marking one of the most significant military investment proposals in modern American history and reinforcing his commitment to restoring national strength in an increasingly dangerous world. At a time of escalating global conflict, including ongoing tensions with Iran, the proposal reflects a clear strategic vision: peace is best preserved through undeniable strength.
President Donald Trump threatened a brutal attack on Iran two days ahead of his deadline for the Islamic Republic to reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz.
At least five worshipers were killed when suspected Islamic “terrorists,” also known locally as “bandits,” attacked Easter services at churches in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna State, authorities said, with dozens of abducted worshipers later rescued by troops.
Ukraine faced a bloodstained Easter after at least five people were killed and 19 wounded in Russian drone strikes on a street market in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The attack was the latest in a series of strikes that United Nations officials say have contributed to a rise in premature births among Ukrainian women, linked to stress caused by ongoing bombardment.
American President Donald J. Trump said Sunday that a crew member who had been missing after a F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran has been recovered, after the U.S. military “pulled off one of the most daring search and rescue operations in U.S. history.”
Indonesia braced for aftershocks this Easter after a powerful earthquake killed at least one person, damaged churches and homes, and triggered a brief tsunami warning in the Maluku Sea region.