H.Res. 861

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 861 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 861

Expressing condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of 
religious minority groups, including Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists 
and the detention of Pastor ``Ezra'' Jin Mingri and leaders of the Zion 
Church, and reaffirming the United States' global commitment to promote 
religious freedom and tolerance.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 7, 2025

Mr. Barr (for himself and Mr. Moolenaar) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Expressing condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of 
religious minority groups, including Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists 
and the detention of Pastor ``Ezra'' Jin Mingri and leaders of the Zion 
Church, and reaffirming the United States' global commitment to promote 
religious freedom and tolerance.

Whereas, on October 10, 2025, international news outlets reported that the 
Chinese Communist Party (referred to in this preamble as the ``CCP'') 
abducted Pastor ``Ezra'' Jin Mingri, who is the founder of Beijing Zion 
Church, from his home in Guangxi Province, China;
Whereas CCP authorities also abducted more than 20 other pastors and church 
members from Zion Church;
Whereas the CCP's actions mark the largest coordinated, nationwide crackdown 
against a Christian urban house church in more than 40 years;
Whereas thousands of Zion Church members and millions of Christians and other 
religious adherents who reside in the People's Republic of China seek to 
peacefully worship God and care for their neighbors without the threat 
or fear of persecution;
Whereas the imprisonment of Pastor Jin is the latest instance of CCP persecution 
of a large number of religious minorities, including Christians, Muslim 
Uyghurs, Hui Muslims, and Tibetan Buddhists;
Whereas, in 2016, President Xi Jinping promised to ``Sinicize'' religion in 
China by allowing authorities to burn Bibles, imprison believers, and 
tear down Christian crosses, and by forcing religious organizations and 
adherents to conform to the ideology of the CCP;
Whereas, in 2021, the Trump administration determined the CCP had committed 
crimes against humanity and genocide against predominately Muslim 
Uyghurs and other members of ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang 
and that the CCP has continued to subject religious minorities to 
restrictions on religious practices and freedom of expression, arbitrary 
imprisonment, forced sterilization torture, and forced labor;
Whereas the CCP has made consistent efforts to erode the religious, linguistic, 
and cultural identity of Tibetans, including by closing Buddhist 
monasteries and limiting entry or practitioners;
Whereas Congress unanimously passed the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (Public Law 105-292), which established, as the official policy of 
the United States--

(1) to condemn violations of religious freedom;

(2) to promote, and assist other governments in the promotion of, the 
fundamental right to freedom of religion;

(3) to stand for liberty and with the persecuted;

(4) to use and implement appropriate tools in the United States foreign 
policy apparatus, including diplomatic, political, commercial, charitable, 
educational, and cultural channels; and

(5) to promote respect for religious freedom by all governments and 
peoples;

Whereas, under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the United 
States Commission on International Religious Freedom has designated the 
People's Republic of China as a ``country of particular concern for 
religious freedom'' every year since 1999;
Whereas Congress unanimously passed the Frank R. Wolf International Religious 
Freedom Act (Public Law 114-281) in 2016 to enhance the capabilities of 
the United States to advance religious liberty globally through 
diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance;
Whereas the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of 
title XII of Public Law 114-328), enacted by Congress in 2016, gives the 
President the authority to impose targeted sanctions on individuals 
responsible for committing human rights violations;
Whereas the People's Republic of China is a signatory to the Universal 
Declaration of Human Rights, done at Paris December 10, 1948, and the 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, done at New York 
December 19, 1966, which recognize freedom of religion as a fundamental 
human right;
Whereas Article 36 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China 
explicitly states that citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy 
freedom of religious belief; and
Whereas the United States must show strong international leadership when it 
comes to the advancement of religious freedoms, liberties, and 
protections: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) strongly condemns the Chinese Communist Party's 
persecution of religious minorities, including Pastor ``Ezra'' 
Jin Mingri and other leaders and members of Zion Church and 
other faith communities;
(2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
promote religious freedom and tolerance around the world and to 
help provide protection and relief to religious minorities 
facing persecution and violence;
(3) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of 
China to release the members of Zion Church, including Pastor 
Jin, and all other wrongfully detained religious leaders; and
(4) demands that the Government of the People's Republic of 
China--
(A) respect the internationally recognized human 
right to freedom from religious persecution; and
(B) end all forms of violence and discrimination 
against religious minorities and entities.
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