Former Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback is urging President Donald Trump to make China's persecution of religious groups a key topic during upcoming diplomatic engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Brownback cited the case of Pastor Ezra Jin, who was freed from a Chinese prison weeks after Trump reportedly raised his case with Xi at a May summit. Jin had pastored Zion Church, an independent Christian house church in Beijing not controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
According to the report, religious groups in China must operate under the control of the CCP or face repercussions, including harassment, arrest, and closure. The persecution extends to other faiths, with documented reports of forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners and the detention of Catholic bishops who do not adhere to the CCP's directives. Cardinal Joseph Zen, a 94-year-old leader in Hong Kong, was convicted for failing to register a charity fund, an act seen as non-compliance with Xi's China. The whereabouts of Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a Tibetan Buddhist figure abducted 31 years ago, remain unknown.
These actions are described as counter to the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which asserts the right to religious freedom. The report states that Beijing's oppression transcends its borders, employing tactics of transnational repression, including harassment and disinformation, against dissidents in the United States. Falun Gong practitioners have reportedly faced nearly 300 bomb and death threats, in addition to ongoing persecution within China, where over 5,000 deaths have been recorded since 1999.
Recent intelligence suggests China has used AI platforms to build surveillance dossiers on overseas dissidents and religious communities, including Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners, Christians, and Uyghurs. This highlights a pattern of exploiting American institutions and technology to target those who have sought refuge in the U.S.
Brownback argues that countries that restrict religious freedom are not reliable trading partners and should not be supported economically. He draws parallels to historical figures who defied oppressive regimes, suggesting that religious adherents often serve as a bulwark against government overreach due to their allegiance to a higher authority.
Trump's administration previously imposed tariffs on China and confronted its allies. Brownback advocates for continued pressure, likening it to President Reagan's approach to the Soviet Union, to address the CCP's religious oppression and underscore the principle that faith and freedom should not be mutually exclusive choices for the Chinese people.
The report concludes that Americans will not accept Beijing's attempts to stifle or punish individuals abroad for practicing their faith, and this message should be clearly conveyed to Xi Jinping during his visit to Washington.