Prioritizing Political Prisoner Advocacy Across China

March 2026

Past Event

Prioritizing Political Prisoner Advocacy Across China

Past Event

Invite Only

March 16, 2026

Police keep watch as an armored prison van carries Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai to the West Kowloon court in Hong Kong, China, on December 19, 2023. (Getty Images)

March 2026

Past Event

Speakers:

Grace Jin Drexel

Daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri

Gao Pu

Son of detained Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife, Pang Yu

Corey Jackson

Founder and President, Luke Alliance

Michael Kovrig

Canadian former diplomat detained in China

Ziba Murat

Daughter of detained Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas

Pedro Pizano

Director, John McCain Center for Political Prisoners Initiative

Moderators:

As President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping prepare to meet in April, striking a favorable trade deal is top of mind. But trade shouldn’t be the only priority. China currently imprisons several political prisoners who are important to the United States government—including Chinese Christian Pastor Ezra Jin, Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas, Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, and many others. Several of these prisoners have family members who are American citizens and want to be reunited. Ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting, Washington needs to call for the unequivocal release and safe return of political prisoners.

Join us at Hudson Institute to discuss how advocates, lawmakers, and the US government can prioritize the release of political prisoners across China.

To request an RSVP, please reach out to Talia Magnuson at tmagnuson@hudson.org.

Agenda

9:30 a.m. | Breakfast and Registration

10:00 a.m. | Panel I: Political Prisoners Past and Present

Moderator: Olivia Enos, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

· Ziba Murat, Daughter of detained Uyghur doctor Gulshan Abbas

· Grace Jin Drexel, Daughter of detained Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri

· Gao Pu, Son of detained Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife, Pang Yu

· Michael Kovrig, Canadian former diplomat detained in China

11:30 a.m. | Panel II: Strengthening Tools for Securing Political Prisoner Release

Moderator: Michael Sobolik, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

· Olivia Enos, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

· Corey Jackson, Founder and President, Luke Alliance

· Pedro Pizano, Director, John McCain Center for Political Prisoners Initiative

Event Audio

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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