An ‘atheist’ empire? Trump aides rally evangelicals in China fight
- Religious freedom is a growing theme of President Donald Trump’s confrontation with Beijing, and it’s resonating with Christian leaders
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nahal Toosi on politico.com on December 30, 2018.
Vice-President Mike Pence infuriated Beijing when he gave a speech in October warning that China had become a dangerous rival to the United States. While he focused on familiar issues such as China’s trade policies and cyber espionage, Pence also denounced the country’s “avowedly atheist Communist Party”.
Citing a crackdown on organised religion in the country, Pence noted that Chinese authorities “are tearing down crosses, burning Bibles and imprisoning believers”.
Pence’s remarks, which also addressed the repression of Chinese Buddhists and Muslims, illustrated how religious freedom is a growing theme of President Donald Trump’s confrontation with Beijing, which some foreign policy insiders warn could develop into a new cold war.
It is a subject that resonates in the US heartland, some Christian leaders say – parts of which, including rural areas, are disproportionately at risk of fallout from Trump’s trade fight with the Asian giant.
