Walkinshaw, Kaine Urge Trump to Press China to Stop Forcibly Returning North Korean Refugees

Washington, D.C. , May 13, 2026

Washington, D.C. — Congressman James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11) and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) sent a bicameral letter to President Donald Trump during the U.S.-China Summit urging him to press Chinese leader Xi Jinping to stop forcibly returning North Korean refugees to a country where they face torture, forced labor, imprisonment, or execution.

The letter calls on President Trump to use "all diplomatic levers at his disposal" to compel the People's Republic of China (PRC) to halt the repatriations, recommit to its obligations under the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, and grant refugee status to affected individuals so they can travel to a safe third country.

"Chinese authorities are systematically and knowingly forcing hundreds of North Koreans back to a place where they will face mistreatment and retribution," the lawmakers wrote. "The PRC has been party to the United Nations Refugee Convention and Protocol for over four decades yet consistently violates the principles to protect refugees."

The letter cites findings from the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, of documenting the forcible repatriation of 600 North Korean refugees on October 9, 2023 — the largest single repatriation on record — and approximately 200 more in April 2024. The PRC classifies most North Koreans as illegal economic migrants to avoid its obligations under the Refugee Convention, despite knowing those returned face severe punishment, particularly Christians and those who had contact with South Korean groups while in China.

This letter builds on Congressman Walkinshaw's sustained work on this issue, including a November 2025 bicameral letter urging Ambassador Perdue to press Chinese authorities directly — requests Beijing has repeatedly denied.

Congressman Walkinshaw is a member of the Congressional Caucus on Korea and a Commissioner of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

The letter is also signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-ORE), Peter Welch (D-VT) and U.S. Representatives Ami Bera (CA-06), James McGovern (MA-02), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10).

Read the full letter here.

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