The US and the US Senators asked Xi to release religious prisoners during his visit to the US: the White House's public results did not mention human rights issues.

Before the meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China in Washington on 24 September, a group of Democratic, Republican and bipartisan Senators sent a letter to the White House requesting the United States to raise the issue of religious freedom in China during the talks and to name the religious figures still in detention. The White House's summary of State visits and policy outcome list, published on 25 September, focused on trade, fentanyl precursors, investment and bilateral relations, and did not publicly indicate whether Trump had raised these cases in closed-door talks.

Two-party senators have written the specific detainees in a joint letter

This letter was promoted by Republican Senator Katie Britt, Ted Budd and Democratic Senator Tim Kaine. In a statement issued on 24 September by the Britt Office, the co-optor requested the United States Government to continue to raise the issue of harassment, detention of religious groups in Beijing and to advocate for the release of detainees for exercising their right to religious belief.

The cases named in the letter included the many shepherds and co-workers still detained by the Zion Church in Beijing, as well as other Christian figures. The United States International Commission on Religious Freedom had also issued successive statements on 14 and 18 September, calling on Trump to discuss freedom of religion and religious prisoners of conscience during his meeting with Xi Jinping.

Eight leaders of the Zion Church are still awaiting trial

One of the cases currently receiving international attention is the eight pastoralists and co-workers of the Zion Church in Beijing. (a) The publication of the investigation on 21 September by Fortify Rights, which stated that Wang Lin, Yoon Chim Bing, Lin tree, Gao Ying Ka, Liu Zhenbin, Wang Chung, Wang Zhong and Wu Xiaoyu were still in detention, in cases involving allegations of “frauding” “illegal operations”; The Agency considers that these allegations relate to the church ' s network of worship, religious courses and dedication and advocates that the persons concerned should be released.

The casework authorities in China have not yet made public the full indictment and evidence, and the outside world is therefore unable to independently check the specific factual allegations against each accused. The Zion Church and its support institutions deny that their religious activities constitute crimes, while Chinese law requires religious organizations and related activities to be regulated by registration, premises, network dissemination and financial services.

Kim, founder of the Zion Church, was released and arrived in the United States on July this year. Reuters and the Associated Press both reported that Trump had previously raised the Kim Minh Il case at a meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing in May; The remaining eight remain unreleased.

The White House public list does not include human rights or freedom of religion

On 25 September, the White House issued a summary of State visits and a list of policy facts, listing public results including the control of fentanyl precursors, trade and economic arrangements and other bilateral matters. The White House simultaneously launched a large number of welcoming ceremonies, State feasts and interactive photographs and videos of the two heads of State.

These public materials do not mention freedom of religion, political prisoners or specific detainees. However, the public list of results was not a complete verbatim record of closed meetings and therefore it could not be concluded that Trump had not raised the relevant issues in private. As of 26 September, the White House had not published a separate statement of its meeting concerning these religious cases.

“Pre-summary roll call, no post-summit results” is the latest status of the case

The importance of the visit for the families of detainees and the Religious Liberty Organization lies in the fact that a comparable diplomatic case has been made: Kim Ming was released in July and travelled to the United States after being presented to Xi Jinping in Trump in May. That is why the Senators and the Religious Liberty Agency again gave the White House their exact names before the summit.

As of 26 September, however, no information had been made publicly available that the named individuals had been released or that the case had changed as a result of the Summit. It can be confirmed that the United States Congress and the Religious Liberty Agency have re-positioned these cases to the forefront of the diplomatic agenda during Xi ' s visit to the United States; The subsequent diplomatic outcome will also need to be judged by the release of persons, changes in judicial proceedings or official statements by the Government.