Brownback Says China’s Actions Amount to Systematic Assault on Freedom of Belief
Strategic competition with Beijing demands clarity on American commitments and economic leverage.
Mainstream coverage tends to treat China’s religious repression as a regrettable human rights story, safely filed under “values. ” Brownback is right to frame it as something harsher: an intentional campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to control conscience, language, and loyalty. What gets missed is the direct link to American interests.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
‘We’re in a battle today with the Chinese Communist Party and their authoritarian view,’ former ambassador for international religious freedom Sam Brownback said at an event at the Hudson Institute.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
Mainstream coverage tends to treat China’s religious repression as a regrettable human rights story, safely filed under “values.” Brownback is right to frame it as something harsher: an intentional campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to control conscience, language, and loyalty.
What gets missed is the direct link to American interests. A regime that runs systematic coercion at home exports it abroad through tech standards, campus partnerships, and supply chain leverage. Calling it a “battle of ideas” is accurate, but it is also a contest over who sets the rules for the 21st century.
A serious response starts with national security realism, not wishful engagement. It means protecting public trust by tightening visas, research funding, and procurement tied to surveillance firms, and enforcing rule of law on sanctions and trade.
The principle at stake is simple: freedom of belief is not a cultural accessory. It is a test of whether power serves people, or people serve power.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.