China Sanctions U.S. Religious Freedom Officials

In a public statement on March 27, 2021, the Chinese government imposed a travel ban on USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Vice Chair Tony Perkins and prohibited any Chinese citizens or institutions from doing business with them. The statement issued by China asserts that USCIRF should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and refrain from “going further down the wrong path” otherwise “they will get their fingers burnt.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned China for imposing the “baseless” sanctions. This is the first time in USCIRF’s more than 20-year history that a foreign government has taken action against individual Commissioners in this way. Meanwhile, USCIRF has been sounding the alarm about a genocide taking place in Xinjiang against Uyghurs and has recommended for two decades that the U.S. Department of State designate China as a Country of Particular Concern for its egregious violations. This begs the question, why now? USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Vice Chair Tony Perkins join us today to respond to the news about the sanctions, and to discuss what this means for the United States government and the international community moving forward. Featuring:Dwight Bashir, Director of Outreach and Policy, USCIRFGayle Manchin, Chair, USCIRFTony Perkins, Vice Chair, USCIRF Read USCIRF’s official press statement responding to the sanctions.