China on 'wrong side' of religious freedom, says Mike Pompeo

Washington DC: China is on the "wrong side" on the issue of religious freedom, a fundamental human right, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said stressing that America was opposed to "religious intolerance" in any country whether it is an ally or not.

At the State Department's three-day conference next week on religious freedom, the US will be making the case that religious freedom benefits countries economically and diplomatically, Pompeo said.

The summit will bring together government officials, representatives of international organisations, religious leaders, rights advocates and members of the civil society from around the world.

Pompeo said that the Trump administration is considering taking multiple actions against Myanmar on the Rohingya refugee crisis.

"The State Department has made it clear that with respect to this issue (religious freedom), we think they (China) are on the wrong side of religious freedom, that they are a country of concern connected to that," Pompeo told VOA news.

He said the US believes that "religious intolerance is unacceptable" and aims to promote religious freedom in every country, whether or not it is an ally.

He was responding to a question on repression against the Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists in China.

"We understand that religious freedom is at risk in many places in the world, and yet the US has complex, broad relationships with many countries, including China, across economic and military and political sets of issues," he said.

Pompeo said that the US puts religious freedom, this fundamental human right, at the very centre of its discussions with every country with whom it interacts.

"The Trump administration has been incredibly strong in promoting religious freedom. It is the case that there are many countries, indeed countries that we often work alongside, who are allies in other places, we work to demonstrate to them that religious tolerance and freedom is good for them," Pompeo told EWTN Television network.

US Vice President Mike Pence would deliver a key note address at the conference next week.

The issue of religious freedom in India, including some recent incidents of violence, is expected to be raised during the conference, informed sources said.