The US Department of State in October last year released the International Religious Freedom Report for 2014, which strongly criticized Beijing for persecuting Christians, Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners. According to last year’s report, which was released this month, the Chinese government’s crackdown on religious freedom and human rights activists continues even more intensely.
Xinhua news agency on Aug. 2 reported that human rights activist Hu Shigen (胡石根) was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison for subversion. In addition, the Chinese government is in the process of pressing the same charges against several other human rights advocates.
Hu, 61, is a leading figure in many underground Christian groups. He has been advocating free speech and the right to protest for years. Prior to his sentence, he had served 16 years in prison for his campaign to raise awareness about the 1989 student protests at Tiananmen Square.
According to Xinhua, Hu was found guilty of disseminating subversive ideas that threaten national security through an “illegal” church organization.
On Aug. 2, another activist, Zhai Yanmin (翟巖民), was given a three-year suspended sentence for organizing protests to criticize the government.
According to Radio Free Asia, Chinese authorities late last month began demolishing the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province.
The US State Department on Aug. 8 expressed concern over the demolition, urging Beijing to communicate with the academy’s leaders to protect the religious freedom of Tibetans.
Although China touts itself as a nation of religious freedom, it says one thing and does another. Considering this, will the Vatican establish diplomatic ties with China despite the relentless crackdowns on Christians and other religious groups?
The Vatican is the only country in Europe with which Taiwan has formal diplomatic relations. It does not have diplomatic relations with China because of Beijing’s tight restrictions on religious activities, including Catholicism, and its interference with the Vatican’s clerical appointments.
According to the Hong Kong weekly Kung Kao Pao, Hong Kong Cardinal John Tong (湯漢) earlier this month said that Beijing and the Vatican are about to reach a preliminary agreement on several issues, including the appointment of bishops, with Beijing offering a list with the names of potential bishops from which the pope can select the next bishop. A similar proposal had been rejected by previous popes, including Pope Benedict XVI, who said that it contradicts Catholic doctrine that state entities extraneous to the church should “place themselves above the bishops and guide the life of the ecclesiastical community.”
Pope Francis has made friendly gestures and expressed a will to engage in dialogue with Beijing. If he is willing to concede to Beijing’s requests, it is only a matter of time before the Vatican establishes diplomatic relations with China and severs ties with Taiwan.
Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) is to visit the Vatican on Sunday. Whether his visit can fix the situation is yet to be determined.
Should the Vatican decide to compromise with China on its infringement of human rights and religious freedoms, it would be sending the worst possible message to the world — and that would be a serious mistake.
Parris Chang, professor emeritus of political science at Penn State University and president of the Taiwan Institute for Political, Economic and Strategic Studies, served as a Democratic Progressive Party legislator and deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.