Religious Freedom to Sour U.S.-Japan Relations?

Question raised in Tokyo: Could Freedom of Religion Strain U.S.-Japan Relations?

Tokyo, 11th December 2024 – Published as the 48th article in a series in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article

Series: Freedom of Religion Under Threat – Part 7: Religion in Japan in a Global Context

U.S.A. to Take Firm Action Against Religious Persecution

by the Religious Freedom Investigative Team of the editorial department of Sekai Nippo

See part 1 of the series: The Kishida Administration’s Reckless Actions: 1st article, 2nd article, 3rd article, 4th article, 5th article, 6th article

See part 2: Ripples to Local Assemblies: 7th article, 8th article, 9th article, 10th article, 11th article, 12th article, 13th article, 14th article, 15th article

See part 3: Believers Suffering Discrimination and Human Rights Violations: 16th article, 17th article, 18th article, 19th article, 20th article, 21st article, 22nd article

See part 4: Media Crossing the Line: 23rd article, 24th article, 25th article, 26th article, 27th article, 28th article 

See part 5: The Distorted Image of the “Second-Generation”: 29th article, 30th article, 31st article, 32nd article, 33rd article, 34th article, 35th article, 36th article, 37th article, 38th article

See part 6: Voices of Religious Leaders: 39th article, 40th article, 41st article, 42nd article, 43rd article, 44th article, 45th article, 46th article

See part 7: Religion in Japan in a Global Context: 47th article, 49th article, 50th article, 51st article, 52nd article, 53rd article, 54th article, 55th article

See Epilogue: 56th article, 57th article, 58th article

The founder of Hong Kong’s daily newspaper Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai (76), is at the center of an issue that could ignite U.S.-China tensions. The upcoming Trump administration is expected to adopt a hardline stance on China, focusing not only on trade and security but also on human rights.

Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy figure in Hong Kong, continuously criticized the Chinese Communist Party through his newspaper’s reporting. In 2020, he was arrested on charges of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) and has been detained for over four years. In his ongoing trial, he now faces the possibility of a life sentence.

In October, during an interview on a conservative U.S. podcast, incoming U.S. President Trump was asked whether he could secure Lai’s release if elected. Trump firmly responded, “100% yes. It’s very simple.” In response, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, warned, “Mutual respect is important. Local internal affairs should not be interfered with.” This issue is already emerging as a point of contention between the U.S. and China.

The U.S. conservative camp strongly advocates for Lai’s release because they see his imprisonment as a symbol of oppression against the pro-democracy movement. However, there’s another dimension: Lai is also a devout Catholic, and many interpret his arrest as “religious persecution”.

Lai, who holds British citizenship, could have fled overseas before his arrest. However, he was encouraged by his wife – also a Catholic – who told him, “You must carry your own cross.” Therefore, Lai chose to remain and face imprisonment.

Reports of Jimmy Lai’s faith, his deep bond with his wife, and even his efforts to draw images of Christ using the small amounts of paper and pencils available to him in prison have resonated deeply with the U.S. public. For the incoming Trump administration, abandoning a Christian who endures China’s oppression through his faith is not an option.

For the United States, defending human rights is a universal theme of its diplomacy, but the values reflected in such efforts differ depending on the administration. The Democratic administrations of Obama and Biden prioritized the expansion of LGBT rights, whereas the upcoming Trump administration is expected to place the defense of religious freedom at the core of its human rights diplomacy.

One major reason for this is the strong demand from Trump’s key support base, the evangelical Christians. During his first administration, Trump held the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom conference twice, bringing together individuals from around the world who face religious persecution.

It remains highly doubtful whether the Japanese government can align itself with the Trump administration’s human rights diplomacy, which prioritizes religious freedom. Criticism of the Japanese government has already surfaced from influential figures close to Trump, particularly in light of Japan’s request to dissolve the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church).

On 8^th December, Paula White, Trump’s “spiritual advisor”, sent a video message to a rally in Tokyo organized by the Japanese Committee of the International Coalition for Religious Freedom (ICRF). In her message, she noted that concerns have been expressed by the U.S. State Department, the United Nations, and UN-affiliated NGOs, stating, “We urge our great ally in Japan to uphold religious freedom for all.”

Additionally, Sam Brownback, who served as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom under Trump’s first administration, commented in a February interview with this newspaper:

“The Unification Church has fought against communism for decades. China opposes anti-communist groups like the Unification Church. If the Trump administration returns to power, it will actively address this issue.”

Brownback projected that the next U.S. administration would view Japan’s request to dissolve the church as “a major concern”.

The issue of religious freedom is thus poised to become not only a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations but also a growing thorn in Japan-U.S. relations.

Featured image above: Senator Ted Cruz (Rep) meeting Jimmy Lai (left) and another pro-democracy dissident in Hong Kong 12th Oct. 2019. Cruz writes, “While I was in Hong Kong, I met Jimmy Lai and other pro-democracy dissidents. Reports of his arrest are deeply troubling. Instead of focusing on the #coronavirus, the HK government and Communist Chinese Party are exploiting this crisis to attack political opponents.” Photo: Office of Senator Ted Cruz / Wikimedia Commons. Public domain image. Cropped

See part 1 of the series: The Kishida Administration’s Reckless Actions: 1st article, 2nd article, 3rd article, 4th article, 5th article, 6th article

See part 2: Ripples to Local Assemblies: 7th article, 8th article, 9th article, 10th article, 11th article, 12th article, 13th article, 14th article, 15th article

See part 3: Believers Suffering Discrimination and Human Rights Violations: 16th article, 17th article, 18th article, 19th article, 20th article, 21st article, 22nd article

See part 4: Media Crossing the Line: 23rd article, 24th article, 25th article, 26th article, 27th article, 28th article 

See part 5: The Distorted Image of the “Second-Generation”: 29th article, 30th article, 31st article, 32nd article, 33rd article, 34th article, 35th article, 36th article, 37th article, 38th article

See part 6: Voices of Religious Leaders: 39th article, 40th article, 41st article, 42nd article, 43rd article, 44th article, 45th article, 46th article

See part 7: Religion in Japan in a Global Context: 47th article, 49th article, 50th article, 51st article, 52nd article, 53rd article, 54th article, 55th article

See Epilogue: 56th article, 57th article, 58th article

Related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Japan: Exhibition Exposes Horrors of Persecution

More, related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Japan Copying Faith-Breaking Concepts of China

Related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Courts Using Debunked Concepts Against Minority

Also related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Dissolution Case: Wild Claims, Illegal Actions

Also related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Terms from Consumer Law Used to Rob Faith

Also related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: 2nd-Generation Members Protesting Persecution

Also related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Inhuman Government-Supported Mass Deprogramming

And also related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Bias: No Right to Respond for Religious Minority

More, related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Collusion to Rob Minority of Its Rights

And more, related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: State and Media Creating “Today’s Non-Citizens”

Still more, related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Japan Criticized for Glaring Rights Violations

Even more related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Two European Scholars Warning Japan

And yet more related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Japan Censured at Religious Freedom Event

And still more related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Lawyer Exposes Dirty Leftwing Plot

And even more related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Inhuman Government-Supported Mass Deprogramming

And still more related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Malicious One-Sided Government Source Selection

More related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Government’s Foul Play Pointed Out

More related to religious freedom and U.S.-Japan relations: Kishida Has Opened Can of Worms