China is “at war with faith,” according to the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Noting the country’s rising tides of discrimination against Muslims, Catholics, and Buddhists, Ambassador Sam Brownback said the United States has a duty to ensure that religious liberty is aggressively defended.
During his visit, Brownback criticized last year’s Vatican deal with China, which reportedly allows for the Chinese government to have a say in the appointment of the country’s bishops. “Since this provisional deal was announced last year, the Chinese government’s abuse of members of the Catholic community has continued. We see no signs that will change in the near future,” Brownback said while in Hong Kong.
He told Crux that his criticisms came in response to concerns raised by Tibetan Buddhists who feared that the deal could “set a precedent” for the state exercising control when it came to picking religious leaders.
