Chinese officials denied a visa to a top US State Department envoy and refused to meet with her to discuss issues of religious freedom days before this week’s high-profile visit to Washington by China’s vice president. The U. ambassador for international religious freedom (who previously was a New York Police Department chaplain) was scheduled to travel to China on Feb 8th but as the date drew near Chinese leaders refused to grant her meetings with government officials. The disclosure comes one day into the diplomatically sensitive visit by Xi Jinping (China’s presumptive next president) to the United States. During the visit the Obama administration hopes to ease tense in US-China relations.
Pray: for a new positive relationship between USA and China, allowing religious freedom issues to be positively discussed and implemented. (Pr.2:6-8)