Senate Bill Aims to Hold Beijing Accountable for Decades of Persecution Against Christians

Republicans have introduced legislation that would impose sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for the ongoing persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, marking a significant step in confronting Beijing’s systematic assault on religious freedom.

The “Combating the Persecution of Religious Groups in China Act,” introduced by Sen. Ted Budd of North Carolina on International Religious Freedom Day, October 27, represents a straightforward proposition: if you persecute people for their faith, you face consequences from the United States. The companion bill in the House was introduced by Congressman Mark Alford of Missouri.

Here are the facts. The legislation would sanction any official of the People’s Republic of China who is responsible for or has directly carried out abuses of religious freedom, including arbitrary detention, forced sterilization, torture, forced labor, and serious restrictions on freedom of religion, expression, and movement. These are not abstract concerns or theoretical violations. These are documented, ongoing atrocities.

The timing of this legislation is particularly relevant. Just weeks ago, the Chinese Communist Party detained more than 30 pastors and staff from Zion Church, a prominent Christian house church in China. Zion Church was forcibly shut down in 2018 but courageously re-emerged in multiple locations, demonstrating the resilience of faith under tyranny. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rightfully condemned these detentions and called for the immediate release of the church members, noting that the incident demonstrates how the CCP exercises hostility toward Christians who reject Party interference in their faith.

This is the critical point: the Chinese Communist Party does not tolerate any authority higher than itself. Religious freedom represents an existential threat to totalitarian control because it acknowledges that human rights come from God, not government. This is precisely why the CCP has perpetrated what can only be described as heinous abuses against religious groups for decades.

The bill has garnered substantial support from Republican lawmakers who understand what is at stake. Co-sponsors in the Senate include Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ashley Moody of Florida, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Todd Young of Indiana. In the House, co-sponsors include Greg Steube of Florida, Dan Crenshaw of Texas, and Michael McCaul of Texas.

Senator Budd stated the obvious truth that China’s disdain for religious freedom is not new, but rather an ongoing and brutal pattern of abuse that must be met with steadfast American strength. As the leader of the free world, the United States has both the capacity and the moral obligation to promote religious freedom around the world and hold China’s authoritarian regime accountable for decades of persecution targeting Christians and other religious minorities.

The legislation would also strengthen State Department efforts to combat persecution not only of Protestant Christians and Catholics, but also Muslims, Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners, and other religious minorities. A 2024 report documented that the CCP tortured, physically abused, arrested, disappeared, detained, sentenced to prison, subjected to forced indoctrination in CCP ideology, and harassed adherents of both registered and unregistered religious groups.

This is not complicated. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. The Chinese Communist Party systematically violates that right. The United States should respond with targeted sanctions against those responsible. This legislation does exactly that, and it deserves swift passage.