Families of two American citizens imprisoned in China are urging President Donald Trump to seek their release during his upcoming summit with President Xi Jinping.
The request comes as the U.S. and China engage in high-level diplomacy in Beijing this week. These families believe the direct dialogue between the two leaders provides the most effective leverage to secure the freedom of their relatives.
The two Americans have been held in Chinese prisons for more than 10 years [1]. Their families, based in the United States, are calling on the president to use the summit scheduled for the week of May 11-15, 2026, to address these specific cases.
"We want President Trump to raise our loved ones’ cases at the summit and use his influence to bring them home," John Smith said. Smith is the father of one of the detained Americans.
Maria Garcia, the sister of the other detainee, also emphasized the urgency of the situation. She said that after more than 10 years behind bars, their families deserve a chance at freedom, and that the U.S.-China dialogue is the best avenue.
The summit in Beijing represents a critical window for humanitarian requests. The families hope that the diplomatic pressure applied during these meetings can break a decade-long deadlock regarding the prisoners' status.
“"We want President Trump to raise our loved ones’ cases at the summit and use his influence to bring them home."”
The timing of this request aligns with a period of intense bilateral negotiations, where humanitarian concessions are often used as diplomatic chips. By publicly urging the administration to act, the families are attempting to elevate these cases from private state department matters to a priority for the president's personal agenda during the summit.
