Top > World > 2005 > November > 2005-11-21

Bush urges China on religious freedom

President George W. Bush challenged China`s repression of religion Sunday as he opened a diplomatically sensitive visit there, but he kept most of his focus on an economic and security agenda that included a multibillion-dollar sale of U.S.-built airplanes. The president has been offended by the recent harassment of religious people trying to practice their faith without state approval at underground churches, aides said.

In his first public appearance, even before the welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Bush attended a service at a state-sanctioned Protestant church to send a message about free expression of faith in a country that harshly smothers it. "My hope is that the government of China will not fear Christians who gather to worship openly," the president told reporters outside Gangwashi Church, a modest brick building and one of a handful of official Protestant churches in Beijing. "A healthy society is a society that welcomes all faiths."

In making his appeal for greater religious freedom, Bush was careful to avoid provocative language and planned to spend the rest of his visit talking about trade and nuclear nonproliferation issues. As the president flew to Beijing on Saturday night, a top White House official aboard Air Force One disclosed that China planned to sign a deal Sunday to purchase 70 jetliners from Boeing Corp., a sale he called vindication of the administration`s nuanced approach to relations with China.