Bush attends church, swim meet in Beijing
The president touches on religious freedom in talks with China's top leader. A dissident is reportedly stopped from attending the same worship service as Bush.
BEIJING — - President Bush urged the Chinese government to expand religious freedoms and attended church here today amid reports that a religious dissident was detained trying to attend the service.
In a full day, the president also met with three top Chinese leaders and attended two sports events at the Olympic Games.
"Laura and I just had the great joy and privilege of worshiping here in Beijing, China," Bush told reporters outside Beijing Kuanjie Protestant Christian Church, an "official church" under Communist Party control. "You know, it just goes to show that God is universal, and God is love, and no state, man or woman should fear the influence of loving religion."
A few hours later, during meetings with President Hu Jintao, Bush stressed the importance of not linking religious groups with terrorism, Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asian affairs at the National Security Council, told reporters in a briefing after the meeting.
"He reiterated today is that we aren't trying to impose something Western on China, that this is something that naturally develops in a society as it matures," Wilder said, adding that Bush came away with the impression that China was willing to give way and that "in the future there will be more room for religious believers."
Religious freedom has consistently been a top human-rights issue in the Bush administration's dealings with China.
Bush's call for a more open policy was punctuated by a report that Hua Huiqi, a housing activist and member of an underground church, and his brother Hua Hulin were stopped when trying to attend the service at Kuanjie church.
Hua Hulin told the Associated Press that he was released first and that his brother eventually escaped police custody after they took away his Bible and cellphone. It was not immediately clear how he got away.
"While I can't confirm this specific report, we're disappointed any time that someone is unable to worship freely," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Bob Fu, head of China Aid Organization, said the fact that China wouldn't let Bush visit a church not sanctioned by the government shows how little religious freedom the regime is willing to tolerate. "It sends a very chilling message," he said. Fu met with Bush in the White House in late July.
