Bush Meets Chinese Christian Activists on Religious Freedom

By Michelle Vu

WASHINGTON – President Bush met with three prominent Chinese Christian activists on Thursday and pledged to discuss the issue of religious freedom with Chinese leaders in the future following the meeting.

Yu Jie, Li Baiguang and Wang Yi – high-profile Chinese activists from China – met with Bush at the White House to discuss the severe limitation of freedom of expression, religious freedom, and the rule of law in China. The three religious freedom activists are known to be strong voices in the criticism of the Chinese government’s controls on religion.

"I’ve been working on human rights for many years but I won’t talk about that," said Dr. Li Baiguang, the director of Beijing Qimin Research Center during the Freedom in China Summit 2006 on May 2. "I will instead talk about how God has selected me to be a Christian."

The former university professor, freelance writer, legal professional, peasants’ right advocate and legal scholar continued to explain why religious freedom is significant for improvement of human rights in China.

"The national morale cannot be improved without proper religious worship," Li said. "As we have economic development our morale is rapidly deteriorating partly because of lack of religious freedom."

Bush has raised the issue of religious freedom in China in the past, such as during his visit to Beijing in November and during the recent meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in April.

The Chinese Party Chinese government only allows Christians to worship in state-registered churches and "underground," unregistered churches are considered illegal and can often times lead to fines, arrest, and imprisonment.

According to Reuters, Chinese activists said they had a prayer with Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice before the meeting ended.

The Chinese Christians said that they are determined to use China’s constitution to defend religious freedom and hope to see political prisoners receive the right to be baptized and worship in prison.

  • ‘Wang Mingdao’s Diary’ reproduction highlights complexities of contemporary Chinese Christianity

    On December 9, the China Graduate School of Theology (中国神学研究院) hosted a public lecture titled “A Courageous Witness in the Times—Launch of Wang Mingdao (王明道)’s Diary.” The lecture, themed “Faith Patterns in Beijing’s Christian Churches Through the Lens of Wang Mingdao’s Diary,” featured Dr. Ni Buxiao (倪步晓), Associate Director and Assistant Professor at the Christian Faith and Chinese Culture Research Center of Alliance Bible Seminary (建道神学院), as the keynote speaker.

  • Floating library ‘Doulos Hope’ arrives in Taiwan; spreading love and hope from a former cruise ship

    Doulos Hope, the international floating book fair ship, has returned to Taiwan and is now docked at Kaohsiung Port, open to the public from December 18, 2024, to January 12, 2025. Originally built in 1991 and renovated in 2022, the ship features over 2,000 books on various topics, including faith, science, and art. It is operated by a diverse crew of 140 volunteers from 25 countries, offering services such as education, healthcare, and community outreach. The ship's mission is to spread hope and

  • Chinese Online School of Theology publishes annual ministry report: Expanding Chinese theological education through new strategies

    In the 2023-2024 academic year, New York-based Chinese Online School of Theology (COST) has seen significant development in expanding its ministry in theological education and mission outreach. They have promoted a series of new events and projects to explore different strategies that expand theological education for Chinese ministers. The following are some highlights from the 2023-2024 annual report:

  • Dr. Fenggang Yang: How foreign forces transformed traditional Chinese legal systems

    In a recent lecture to Chinese Christians, scholar Dr. Fenggang Yang (杨凤岗) gave an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution and contemporary significance of the modern legal system in Chinese society. He explored the tensions and integrations between traditional law and modern rule of law, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of China’s traditional legal system and emphasizing the role of foreign influences in introducing modern legal practices into Chinese society.

Top Stories