​​​​​​​U.S. Lawmakers Launch “Gao Zhisheng Freedom Act” to Include the Rescue of Prisoners of Conscience in U.S.–China Diplomacy

Republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey being interviewed by Voice of America. (December 5, 2024)

[People News] Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Republican and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), recently introduced the FREEDOM for Gao Zhisheng Act (HR 5303), requiring the U.S. government to formulate a coordinated strategy to ensure the release of political prisoners detained by the Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong authorities.

According to a Voice of America report, the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, Republican Congressman John Moolenaar of Michigan, and Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi of New York are bipartisan co-sponsors of this bill.

The bill is named after the well-known Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who was stripped of his license, kidnapped, and tortured for repeatedly defending Falun Gong practitioners and house churches, and for publicly calling on Beijing authorities to stop persecution. In 2006, he was sentenced for “inciting subversion of state power,” and since then has been imprisoned or placed under house arrest for long periods. Since 2017, there has been no news of him.

When announcing the introduction of this bill, Smith stated: “Advocating for political prisoners abroad is not only a moral responsibility—it is central to U.S. national interests.” He added that at its core, the competition between the United States and the CCP is “a contest between freedom and oppression.”

The bill requires the submission of a detailed report on the efforts made by the U.S. government since 2006 to secure Gao Zhisheng’s release; it also requires the State Department to appoint a coordinator to oversee cross-agency actions, liaise with families, and, through regular briefings and public diplomacy efforts, ensure that relevant cases continue to maintain global attention.

Smith said that the “Gao Zhisheng Freedom Act” aims to ensure that cases such as those of Gao Zhisheng and Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai “will not be forgotten in high-level negotiations.” He emphasized that past experience has shown that sustained international advocacy can improve the treatment of imprisoned individuals, reduce sentences, and even lead to release.

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