S. 5370: Combatting the Persecution of Religious Groups in the People’s Republic of China Act

This bill sets out U.S. policy on religious freedom in China and says the United States should respond more strongly to abuses against religious and ethnic minority groups there.

What the bill says China is doing

The bill notes that the People’s Republic of China has been designated by the U.S. government as a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom since 1999. It says Chinese officials have been involved in severe abuses, including:

• arbitrary detention
• forced sterilization
• torture
• forced labor
• limits on freedom of religion, speech, and movement

The bill specifically mentions Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Uyghur Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners.

What U.S. policy would be

The bill says that if the U.S. government determines a Chinese official is responsible for, or directly carried out, religious freedom abuses, the U.S. should also consider whether that person committed a “gross violation of internationally recognized human rights” under the Global Magnitsky law. That matters because it can be used as a basis for sanctions.

It also says the State Department should support programs aimed at promoting religious freedom in China and monitoring China’s repression of ethnic and religious minority groups beyond its borders.

What Congress says the U.S. should do

The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. should:

• increase diplomacy focused on religious freedom and work with other countries on the issue
• use multilateral efforts to address persecution in China
• raise the cases of political prisoners who were jailed for their religious beliefs
• press China to stop harassing and persecuting religious groups, including underground house churches
• call for the release of people unjustly detained for their faith
• ensure detainees are treated humanely, with access to family, lawyers, independent medical care, monitoring, and the ability to practice their religion
• encourage faith communities around the world to speak out
• expand efforts to document abuses and support human rights defenders, dissidents, and other at-risk people

Reporting requirement

The Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom would have to give Congress an annual briefing covering:

• sanctions imposed on Chinese officials for human rights abuses
• efforts to strengthen diplomacy on religious freedom
• plans to raise political prisoner cases with senior Chinese officials

Relevant Companies

None found