When Trade Ignores Faith

Why Human Rights Must Return to the U.S.–China Conversation

This week I joined host Paul Greeney on NTD’s Business News show to talk about one of the most overlooked crises in U.S.-China relations, the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing persecution of Christians.

The discussion came just as President Trump prepared to meet with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping. While trade and manufacturing are expected to dominate the agenda, human rights—especially freedom of belief—have largely been left off the table.

As I explained on the show, the latest arrests of dozens of church members across China are not isolated events. They’re part of a 70-year pattern: under the Communist Party’s rule, no belief is allowed to stand higher than the Party itself. Even though China’s constitution claims to protect “freedom of belief,” that freedom only exists within the boundaries the regime dictates. Anyone who puts God above the Party risks persecution, imprisonment, or worse.

President Trump has previously said that human rights would be part of the “second phase” of U.S.–China trade talks—but that second phase never came. Now, as relations reopen, we have a choice: repeat decades of failed engagement that enriched the regime while ignoring its abuses, or finally draw a line that recognizes the difference between China—its people—and the Chinese Communist Party that rules them.

On the show, I shared what I would advise any U.S. administration: Treat China not like a normal trading partner, but like what it is—an authoritarian regime that sees faith, freedom, and even empathy as threats to control. That doesn’t mean isolation. It means clarity. The people of China are not the Communist Party. Supporting the Chinese people means standing against the system that has silenced them for generations.

If America continues to separate “business” from “human rights,” we risk strengthening the very regime that uses trade, technology, and propaganda to undermine both. But if we choose courage over convenience, we can help shine a light where it’s needed most—on those who still dare to believe.

You can watch the full interview here:

And tell me what you think: Should human rights be part of every U.S.–China negotiation?