ChinaAid founder Bob Fu is calling for an independent medical examination and greater family access for imprisoned Chinese pastor Wang Yi, after receiving reports that Wang may have advanced liver cancer. Fu told Fox News that the reports were serious but said ChinaAid could not independently confirm the diagnosis because it lacked access to Wang and his medical records.

Wang, founding pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, has been in prison since December 2018. A Chinese court sentenced him in December 2019 to nine years on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations. He was arrested during a crackdown on the independent Protestant congregation, which operates outside China’s state-regulated religious systems.

ChinaAid first raised public concerns about Wang’s health on Sept. 28, asking Chinese authorities to let his family see him and provide information about his care. Fu said prison officials later told relatives by telephone that a medical examination had taken place on Oct. 1 and indicated Wang was in good health. His family, however, has not received a new in-person visit with which to assess his condition, according to Fu.

Fu said repeated requests by Wang’s wife and other relatives for access had not resulted in a meeting. In an open letter dated Oct. 3, Early Rain Covenant Church said it could not establish whether Wang was ill. The church asked authorities to allow regular family visits, correspondence and calls, and to disclose information about any medical care he needs. The church said Wang’s family had been allowed fewer than five visits during nearly eight years of imprisonment.

Fu described visits as short and monitored, and alleged that conversations about Wang’s health or religious beliefs had sometimes been stopped by authorities. He also said Wang’s wife had gone two years without receiving a letter from him. Those descriptions were provided by Fu; the supplied account does not include independent confirmation of the alleged restrictions.

Fu urged authorities to allow Wang’s wife, son and elderly parents to meet him privately, permit an independent examination with legal counsel present, and release medical records, including information about medication administered during his imprisonment. He also raised broader concerns about reports of mistreatment of prisoners of conscience, including allegations of forced medication and physical and psychological harm. The source material does not establish that those allegations occurred in Wang’s case.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom lists Wang as a religious prisoner of conscience and has documented reports of medical neglect. The U.S. State Department condemned Wang’s conviction in 2019, describing the prosecution as connected to peaceful advocacy for religious freedom and calling for his release.

Fu called on the Trump administration to raise Wang’s case with Chinese officials during diplomatic engagements. He cited the July release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who reunited with his family after President Donald Trump raised Jin’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a May visit to Beijing. Fu argued that prisoner cases should be raised directly, while the source does not establish that diplomatic pressure would lead to the same outcome for Wang.

Trump and Xi were expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen in November and the G-20 summit in Miami in December, according to the report. Fu said human-rights concerns should not be set aside during trade and security discussions.

Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang told Fox News the embassy had no information to provide about Wang’s specific case. Liu defended China’s religious policies, saying the government protects freedom of religious belief under Chinese law, does not interfere in religious groups’ internal affairs, opposes illegal activity conducted under the guise of religion and rejects foreign interference. The embassy did not directly address Wang’s reported health, family visitation or calls for an independent examination. The U.S. State Department had not responded to Fox News Digital by publication time.