Bush Expected to Address Human Rights During Talks with China's Hu Jintao
by Chad Groening
April 20, 2006
(AgapePress) - - An official with an organization dedicated to the persecuted Church around the world says he expects President Bush will discuss Chinese human rights violations when he meets with China's communist leader today. Members of Congress say President Bush should insist that China respect its citizens' religious rights. That is one of the issues likely to be raised when Chinese President Hu Jintao visits the White House today. The agenda also includes China's currency, trade policies, and the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea.
At a House hearing on Wednesday, New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith said Chinese "citizens practicing a faith other than officially sanctioned religions are often subjected to torture, imprisonment and death, at which time prisoners' organs are often harvested to meet demand." Smith said that while trade, nuclear proliferation and other important issues will be on Bush's agenda, it is America's "moral duty to stand with the oppressed, not with the oppressor."
Todd Nettleton, director of media services at Voice of the Martyrs, believes President Bush will bring up the human-rights question when he meets behind closed doors with the Chinese leader.
"President Bush has brought up the issue of human rights in China [before]," notes Nettleton. "When he was in Beijing, he talked about human rights, he talked about religious freedom, and I believe it's a priority for him personally -- and I think out of that personal priority flows his conversation."
But Nettleton says it is unfortunate that the president does not have much to bargain with in order to achieve any real progress with the Chinese. "We've given [Communist China] permanent normal trade relations, the 2008 Olympics was awarded to Beijing -- you know, there is no great thing that we can say, 'Well, wait -- if you don't do this, then we're going to do this,'" he says.
"Obviously we're going to continue the trading relationships that we have, so there isn't a huge stick that he has to wave."
Still, the VOM spokesman believes President Bush will attempt to bargain with the Communist leader as best as he can. "He doesn't always bring ... up [his commitment to human rights during] real "in-your-face," public moments, but we're told that he does bring it up behind closed doors -- and he does mention it as he is briefing the news media, as he's talking to reporters," Nettleton observes. "So, hopefully that will be a part of the discussion along with the economic issues and the copyright issues and the other things that Bush is planning to discuss. "
China's communist regime has sought to rein in Christianity's rapid spread by targeting preachers for arrest and intimidation. Many have been jailed or driven into exile or deeper underground, depriving Chinese Christians of some of their best-organized and most entrepreneurial leaders. While Buddhism remains China's most popular religion, Christians are now estimated to number 35 million, up from less than one million 50 years ago. Most worship in private homes rather than in churches monitored by state-backed religious organizations.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
Associated Press contributed to this story.
