Serving the Persecuted Church:
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Humanitarian Aid § Advocacy for the Persecuted on Capitol Hill

Is It Right for America to Continue to Support China?

The argument against revoking Most Favored Nation trading status from China is presented by some Christian ministries is flawed. The attitude of many ministries working inside China is no different than that of big business who are profiting by maintaining the status quo in regard to our relations with China. Sometimes it may even look as though the church and big business are one in the same.

Sadly, I have heard the same arguments before that favor maintaining the present course. Today's arguments strike a familiar chord. Some Christian ministries and the business community that were working inside Romania during the time of Ceausescu's reign of terror were claiming that revoking MFN would "harm the people." Nevertheless, a short few months after Romania was denied MFN by the U.S., the communist regime fell. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think it was a matter of a moral judgement call that allowed God to be God, not us: do we continue to do business with a criminal just so that we can have access to our Christian friends?

If Christian ministries take a stand for justice, to "speak up for those who can't speak for themselves" (Prov. 31:8 9)instead of maintaining the status quo, maybe then we just might make a difference. Yes, our financial support may wither and our access to China may for a season be limited. It may be rough for awhile for the Chinese people. But what is our objective after all? Is it to merely to sneak into China (as it was in Romania)in order to meet with believers, risking the lives of those we meet with. Is it so that we can show how much we are needed, so that we can come home and tell Americans how great of a job we are doing?

As recorded in Ecclesiastes 4:16, God cannot ignore the fact that there is no justice. He saw the "tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors." Do we simply continue to deal with thugs, making a profit from their exports, in hope that we might be able to "keep the dialogue going?"

Human lives are important. But equally important is maintaining a standard of justice and righteousness. I would not want anyone to deal with terrorists, take their money, pay them what they demand, in order to save my life. I know for a fact that the Christians I have met in China feel the same way. They really can care less about Most Favored Nation status. They will preach the Gospel with or without it and with or without our assistance. It may be a blow to our ego we are not needed as much as we would like to think. Our money is not as important as is our prayers and our stand for righteousness.

More than one Christian missionary to China has told me that the current U.S. human rights policy in dealing with China, appeasement through trade, is a total failure and has instead caused more Christians to be persecuted. I tend to agree.

It is interesting to me to note that many of the same Christians who would argue that Christians should stay out of the MFN debate because it is too "political," are the same ones involved in the "political" debate back in the U.S. to put a stop to abortion on demand. What is the difference? I believe it may be that some of us do not want to make the personal sacrifice to see that righteousness and justice prevail especially if my "ministry" or job is at risk.

Let's stop compromising with the spirit of anti Christ in order to complete our "ministry" or "mission." Like in the case of Romania, it may be just what God is waiting for: for us Christians to end the compromising relationship so that He Himself can carry out His own glorious and righteous judgement.

Originally Posted:  April 4, 1997

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