Why It Matters
The scope of repression facing religious minorities, ethnic groups, and dissidents as the Trump administration curtails funding for programs designed to counter Beijing's abuses is documented in a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report updated September 21. Congressional appropriations have funded efforts to promote human rights, the rule of law, civil society, and internet freedom in China, yet as part of its 2025 foreign aid review, the Trump Administration reportedly terminated numerous China-related human rights programs.
The report arrives as the U.S. State Department has assessed that China's policies in Xinjiang constitute crimes against humanity and genocide, a conclusion first reached in January 2021 and reaffirmed in coverage of 2024 conditions. The Trump Administration sought to withhold funding appropriated for the National Endowment for Democracy and reduced staffing and operations at the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
The Big Picture
Between 2017 and 2019, more than one million ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslims were detained in so-called vocational education and training facilities without criminal charges. Reported treatment included torture, sexual abuse, forced sterilization, and forced labor. In July 2026, China's Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress came into force, providing a legal framework for forced ethnic assimilation, which human rights groups have criticized.
Since 2018, Tibetan monks and nuns have been required to undergo Communist Party ideological education, while hundreds of Tibetan writers and intellectuals have been arbitrarily detained on separatism charges. Researchers report increasing repression of Christians in China since 2025, including demolition of unregistered churches, detention of house church leaders, and mandatory patriotic education for Christian adherents. China has been consistently designated as a Country of Particular Concern for particularly severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
As part of its 2025 foreign aid review, the Trump administration reportedly terminated numerous China-related human rights programs. It sought to withhold congressionally appropriated funding for the National Endowment for Democracy, which pursued legal action to restore access to its funds. Pursuant to a March 2025 executive order, the administration reduced staffing and operations at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, resulting in disruptions and reductions to Voice of America and Radio Free Asia services targeting Chinese audiences.
The consolidated fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill, enacted in February, appropriated resources for certain activities to promote human rights in China that the administration had curtailed or sought to curtail. Five resolutions related to human rights in China have been agreed to in the 119th Congress.
The Bottom Line
The report underscores a fundamental disconnect: Congress continues to invest in countering Beijing's repression through legislation and funding, while the executive branch has moved to scale back those efforts. The case of pastor Jin Mingri illustrates both the problem and a narrow opening. Detained in October 2025 along with other house church leaders, he was released in July 2026 following advocacy by his family, supporters, and Members of Congress, and after President Trump raised his case at a U.S.-PRC summit in May. Yet as of his July release, several other members of his church remained in detention.
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