US hits China and others for repressing religious freedom

The condemnation was similar to that lodged by the Trump administration, which had been criticised for prioritising religious freedom over other rights

The Biden administration on Wednesday took aim at China and a number of other countries for repressing religious freedom as it forges ahead with its aim of restoring human rights as a primary focus of American foreign policy. The condemnation was similar to that lodged by the Trump administration, which had been criticised for prioritising religious freedom over other rights, and reflected continuity in the US position that China's crackdown on Muslims and other religious minorities in western Xinjiang constitutes “genocide.” Yet, a senior official said religious freedom is just one element in the administration's broader human rights strategy. Much as his predecessor did, Secretary of State Antony Blinken used the release of the State Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report to lambaste China for severe restrictions on its citizens' ability to worship freely. He also announced a travel ban on a former senior Chinese official the US accuses of persecuting members of the Falun Gong religious sect.