Chinese officials denied a visa to a top State Department envoy and refused to meet with her to discuss issues of religious freedom days before this week\u2019s high-profile visit to Washington by China\u2019s vice president, according to rights advocates and others. <\/p>\n
Suzan Johnson Cook, the U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, was scheduled to travel to China on Feb. 8, according to several rights advocates who were invited to brief her ahead of the visit. But as the date drew near, Chinese leaders refused to grant her meetings with government officials. <\/p>\n
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Protesters sympathetic to several Chinese causes, including Tibet, massed around the White House, where U.S. officials were meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. One protester, in a suit and tie, was arrested. (Feb. 14) <\/p>\n
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President Obama says good ties between the United States and China are essential and help the rest of the world. Obama welcomed Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. (Feb. 14) <\/p>\n
They then cited her lack of scheduled meetings as a reason for denying her visa application, according to the advocates and a congressional aide, who were briefed on the situation. <\/p>\n
The disclosure comes one day into the diplomatically sensitive visit by Xi Jinping \u2014 China\u2019s presumptive next president \u2014 during a week that the Obama administration hopes will help ease tense U.S.-China relations. <\/p>\n
Rights advocates working with Cook\u2019s office say that she and her staff were told by superiors in the Obama administration to avoid talking publicly about her canceled trip in the days before Xi\u2019s visit. <\/p>\n
The State Department declined to comment about the matter Tuesday. When asked about the trip last week, on the day Cook was supposed to leave, spokesman Anthony Pahigian said: \u201cShe has no specific dates at this time. We are engaging with the Chinese government to find a mutually convenient time.\u201d <\/p>\n
President Obama, who met with Xi on Tuesday, has been criticized by human rights groups, religious leaders and Republican lawmakers who say he has not been forceful enough in challenging China on issues such as its crackdown on Tibetans and the recent imprisonment of several religious and dissident leaders. <\/p>\n
Xi, during a State Department luncheon Tuesday, defended China\u2019s record on human rights, saying that his country \u201chas made tremendous and well-recognized achievements\u201d in the past 30 years. <\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d he added, \u201cthere is always room for improvement when it comes to human rights.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday on Cook\u2019s visa request. <\/p>\n
Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), who supported Cook\u2019s nomination, called the visa refusal \u201coutrageous\u201d and said the White House\u2019s silence on the issue could have long-term consequences. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens with China could have impact when we try to go to Egypt, Vietnam, all these other places,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople will look at that ambassadorship and say, \u2018How effective or important is this office?\u2019?\u201d <\/p>\n
The post was created in 1998 to be the highest government official focused on promoting religious freedom, often in nascent democracies and under authoritarian regimes. In China, Catholics, evangelical Christians, Muslims and Buddhists all report varying forms of government repression. <\/p>\n
After Obama took office, religious groups criticized him for not quickly naming an ambassador to address these issues. When he made an appointment, in 2010, he upset some activists again with his choice of Cook, a former New York Police Department chaplain and well-known motivational speaker without traditional diplomatic credentials. The Senate approved her, after a long delay, last year. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Go here to read the rest: Chinese officials denied a visa to a top State Department envoy and refused to meet with her to discuss issues of religious freedom days before this week\u2019s high-profile visit to Washington by China\u2019s vice president, according to rights advocates and others. Suzan Johnson Cook, the U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, was scheduled to travel to China on Feb. Continue reading
\nChinese blocked visit by U.S. religious freedom envoy, advocates say<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"