US House passes resolution urging Trump to press Xi on release of detainees in China

The US House of Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a bipartisan resolution urging President Donald Trump to press his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the release of five people detained in China.

The resolution, introduced by Rep. Chris Smith, passed in a 414-0 vote, which comes ahead of Trump's summit with Xi on Thursday in the Chinese capital Beijing.

It calls on Trump "to prioritize the humanitarian release" of five individuals "unjustly" detained by China: Pastor Jin Mingri, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, Dr. Gulshan Abbas and Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai.

The resolution also urges Trump "to seek verifiable proof of life, access to independent legal counsel, family communication, and medical care for these detainees."

Speaking on the House floor before the vote, Smith described the resolution as both a moral imperative and a matter of US national credibility.