c. 1998 Religion News Service

ORLANDO, Fla. _ A delegation of U.S. religious leaders received a pledge from Chinese officials that religious freedom will be part of the ongoing discussions between the United States and the communist regime, the Rev. Don Argue, president of the National Association of Evangelical, said Monday (March 2).”Chinese President Jiang Zemin did make the statement that in U.S.-Sino relations, the issue of religious freedom would be on the agenda for continued discussion,”said Argue.

Argue made his comments at a luncheon Monday at the start of the NAE’s annual summit meeting which brings together the nation’s top evangelical leaders.

At the luncheon, Argue spoke mostly in general terms about the Feb. 8-28 trip he made with a delegation that also included Jewish and Catholic leaders. He said more specific details would be announced at a news conference March 18 in New York City.

Argue said the trip was hectic, with close 50 meetings squeezed into the 20 days. with chinese officials.”The pace of the trip was brutal, the seriousness of the discussion intense,”he said.

Argue’s delegation included Roman Catholic Archbishop Theodore McCarrick of Newark, N.J., and Rabbi Arthur Schneier of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and five others. He said the trip was paid for by a foundation and all members of the group were funded with private American money rather than from either the U.S. or Chinese government.

In a statement he read at the close of a news conference following the luncheon speech, Argue, noting freedom of belief is included in the Chinese Constitution, said officially registered churches are allowed to pursue”normal religious activities,”such as worship, production of religious books and provision of social services within”clearly defined parameters.” But for unregistered, or underground churches, which many believe include the majority of Chinese Christians, religious freedom is not guaranteed, he said.”Participants in unofficial religious activities may be subject to harassment, fines, detention, even imprisonment, although treatment by local authorities varies widely from place to place,”he said.

Argue reported the delegation was able to make”multiple contacts”with unregistered churches and he reported that members of these underground congregations are not afraid of persecution.”It is a way of life to them,”he said.

Argue also told the 350 evangelical leaders gathered at the luncheon that the delegation gave Chinese officials a list of people they were concerned about. Asked at a news conference to describe the people on the list, Argue said they included”those who were persecuted, in prison, not heard from.” But he declined to be more specific because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

In addition, Argue said church officials in China affirmed the NAE’s decision last year to remain neutral in the U.S. political fight over granting China Most Favored Nation trade status. A number of conservative Christians, led by the Family Research Council’s Gary Bauer, had intensely lobbied Congress to deny China MFN status on the basis of the religious persecution issue.”That (NAE neutrality) received strong affirmation in my visit, both with the registered and unregistered churches in China,”Argue said.”Some are making MFN a political issue and the church in China is saying `please don’t politicize the issue.'” Diane Knippers, president of the conservative Institute for Religion and Democracy said she disagreed with Argue’s position on the impact the political dialogue on MFN status fostered.”I think that he’s a bit naive about the role of political advocacy,”she said. Although the IRD, like the NAE did not take a position on MFN, Knippers aid,”I’m thrilled there has been a huge debate about it. Pressure works.” Argue characterized the trip as less a fact-finding mission as one designed to promote future dialogue.”We were not there on an inspection trip,”he said.”We were there as a unique delegation for the first time ever to undertake dialogue with the highest level government leaders,”adding that in the meeting with top level Chinese officials the group”raised some pretty heavy protests.” Argue also listed President Clinton as a major supporter of the need to address religious freedom in China, based on transcripts of Clinton’s discussions with the Chinese president when he visited Washington last fall.”The president repeatedly hammered the issue of religious persecution, to his credit and I acknowledge it today,”Argue said.

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