The founder of Christian human rights organization ChinaAid is raising concerns over the health of an imprisoned Chinese pastor who may be suffering from advanced liver cancer, as his family continues to face restrictions on visitation adn access to medical information.
Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid, told Fox News in an interview that reports concerning Pastor Wang Yi’s health are “very worrying,” citing information received from multiple sources inside China.
Wang, the founding pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, has been imprisoned since December 2018 and is serving a nine-year sentence on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations.
Although Fu believes that reports of advanced liver cancer are credible, he acknowledged that his organization has not been able to independently confirm the diagnosis.
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Fu said ChinaAid was “not able to really independently verify” the reports, citing restrictions on access to Wang and the absence of an independent medical examination.
The organization first publicly raised concerns about Wang’s condition on Sept. 28, calling on Chinese authorities to provide his family with access to him and disclose information about his medical treatment.
During the interview, Fu revealed that authorities reportedly provided information by telephone about medical examination they claimed had been conducted on Oct. 1.
According to Fu, prison officials cited medical information indicating Wang was in good health. However, his family has not been permitted a new in-person visit to independently assess his condition.
Fu said that despite repeated letters from Wang’s wife and relatives requesting access, “no meeting had been granted at all,” since the latest health concerns emerged.
The pastor’s church has also expressed uncertainty about his condition.
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In an Oct. 3 open letter, Early Rain Covenant Church acknowledged the reports but said it could not determine whether Wang had fallen ill. The church called on prison authorities to permit regular family visits, correspondence and telephone calls, as well as provide information about any necessary medical care.
According to the church, Wang’s family has been permitted fewer than five visits during nearly eight years of imprisonment.
Fu likewise described severely restricted visitation, saying meetings have been brief and closely monitored by authorities. He alleged that discussions concerning Wang’s health or religious beliefs have resulted in visits being abruptly terminated.
“Two years, not a single letter for his wife,” Fu said, describing the restrictions on communication.
“That’s not acceptable. That’s even a violation of its own law.”
Wang was arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, during a crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church, an independent Protestant congregation operating outside China’s state-regulated religious systems.
In December 2019, a Chinese court sentenced him to nine years in prison. The U.S. State Department condemned the conviction at the time, describing the prosecution as connected to Wang’s peaceful advocacy for religious freedom and calling for his release.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom currently lists Wang as a religious prisoner of conscience and has documented reports of medical neglec
