WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa joined Sen. David Perdue of Georgia and a bipartisan group of 16 other senators in condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of religious minorities and actions to limit free expression and practice of faith in the People’s Republic of China. Joining Grassley and Perdue in this effort are U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, John Cornyn of Texas, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Ted Cruz of Texas, Steve Daines of Montana, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Tim Kaine of Virginia, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Marco Rubio of Florida, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Ron Wyden of Oregon.

“The persecution of religious minorities at the hands of some Chinese government officials is wrong and must stop,” Grassley said. “People, no matter where they live, should be able to freely express their religious beliefs. As we work with China on issues of trade and intellectual property, we need to also make fighting for religious liberty a central part of the United States’ relationship with China.”

“The Chinese Communist Party continues to engage in a violent crackdown on religion, employing tactics reminiscent of Mao’s Cultural Revolution,” Perdue said. “From burning Bibles and demolishing Christian churches to the mass internment of hundreds of thousands of Uighur Muslims, the Chinese government is inflicting terror on its own people. The United States must condemn these egregious human rights abuses. I urge my colleagues to work alongside President Trump and Secretary Pompeo to hold them accountable.”

This resolution:

  • Condemns violence against religious minorities in China and actions that limit free expression and practice of faith.
  • Reaffirms America’s commitment to promote religious freedom and tolerance around the world.
  • Calls on China to uphold its Constitution in addition to internationally recognized human right of freedom from religious persecution and to end violence and discrimination against religious minorities
  • Condemns the use of re-education centers and internment camps as punishment for religious practice.
  • Condemns the restriction and censorship of religious materials like the Bible, the Quran, and any other religious articles or literature sacrosanct to religious practice or expression.
  • Urges the President to take appropriate actions to promote religious freedom of religious minorities in China, using the powers provided to the President under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, and the Global Magnitsky Act.

Click here for the full resolution.

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