Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is leading a push in the Senate to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for its crackdown on Christians. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Cruz criticized the CCP for targeting Pastor Jin Mingri and the Zion Church, stating, ‘The United States has powerful tools to provide protection and relief to people facing persecution and violence, and we should use those tools unless and until China releases the members of the Zion Church.’ The resolution aims to express condemnation of the CCP’s persecution of Christians and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to religious freedom. It also calls for the CCP to respect the human right to freedom of religion and end all forms of violence and discrimination against religious minorities.
Cruz’s resolution notes that the CCP’s actions represent the largest coordinated, nationwide crackdown against a Christian urban house church in more than 40 years. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has designated China as a country of ‘particular concern for religious freedom’ since 1998 under the International Religious Freedom Act. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., also endorsed the resolution, stating, ‘The Chinese Communist Party’s campaign of repression against Christians is a violation of fundamental religious freedom rights. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of this resolution, which sends a clear message: faith is not a crime.’
Earlier this month, Chinese authorities arrested several Christian leaders, including Pastor Jin Mingri, whose children are U.S. citizens. Grace Jin, Mingri’s daughter, told Fox News Digital that her family is grateful for Cruz’s efforts. ‘His efforts demonstrate that the world is watching as the Chinese government unjustly imprisons pastors and church leaders for the peaceful exercise of their faith,’ she said. Jin was detained by Chinese authorities on October 11, and a document provided to Fox News Digital states that nearly 30 Zion Church pastors and workers were detained or went missing across Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu, Beihai, Jiaxing, and Huangdao. ‘One after another, they were taken, detained. They were saying there were people outside their doors, and then one at a time they were taken into custody,’ Grace recounted.
The fates of Mingri and the other detained Christian leaders remain uncertain. The resolution emphasizes the need for the U.S. to leverage its tools to protect those facing persecution, reflecting a broader bipartisan concern about China’s human rights practices. The measure aligns with the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to address China’s alleged violations of religious freedom, with the Senate’s action serving as a significant step in promoting international religious tolerance and accountability.