Coalition calls for direct presidential engagement on treatment of Uyghurs, Christians, Buddhists, and other religious minorities

NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) – A coalition of religious freedom organizations, Christian advocacy groups, and human rights monitors is urging President Donald Trump to place China’s treatment of religious minorities at the center of upcoming diplomatic engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping, warning that repression has intensified across multiple faith communities.

The groups cite what they describe as a sustained and expanding crackdown under Xi’s leadership targeting underground Christian churches, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and other religious populations. Allegations include forced participation in state-controlled religious institutions, detention of clergy and religious leaders, intensified surveillance of worship activities, and broad restrictions on independent religious practice.

Representative Vicky Hartzler, chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, said the Chinese Communist Party has engaged in what the U.S. government has previously characterized as genocide against Uyghur Muslims, and argued that the issue demands direct presidential intervention in high-level talks with Beijing.

“The administration has a unique opportunity to press for the release of individuals detained for religious or political beliefs,” Hartzler said in a statement to advocacy organizations.

USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmood also described conditions under Xi as a severe deterioration of religious liberty, citing expanded repression across multiple faith groups.

One focal case is Pastor Ezra Jin of Beijing’s Zion Church, who was detained during a broader crackdown on unregistered “house churches.” His detention has become a symbol for religious freedom advocates who say China is tightening control over independent Christian worship outside state-sanctioned institutions. Lawmakers and advocacy groups from both parties are now calling for his case to be raised directly with Chinese officials.

The issue has also fueled the “Two Empty Chairs” campaign, led by the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom at Dallas Baptist University, which is urging U.S. officials to advocate for the release of Pastor Jin and imprisoned Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, who is serving a life sentence on separatism-related charges following his arrest in 2014.

Human Rights Watch reports further restrictions on China’s estimated 12 million Catholics, including increased surveillance, travel controls, and pressure to align with state-approved religious structures. The organization has called on the Vatican to reassess its 2018 agreement with China on bishop appointments amid growing concern that it has failed to protect underground Catholic communities.

Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said religious repression has intensified under China’s “Sinicization” policy, describing escalating pressure on clergy and worshippers outside official channels.

Advocates say the pattern across multiple faith groups points to a systematic tightening of state control over religion in China, raising renewed calls for coordinated international pressure and direct U.S. engagement at the highest diplomatic level.