Chinese blocked visit by U.S. religious freedom envoy, advocates say
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/chinese-blocked-visit-by-us-religious-freedom-envoy-advocates-say/2012/02/14/gIQAmvQxDR_story.html
By William Wan and Michelle Boorstein, Tuesday, February 14, 12:05 PM
Chinese officials denied a top State Department official a visa and refused to meet with her to discuss religious freedom issues days before this weeks high-profile visit by Chinas vice president to Washington, according to rights advocates and others.
Suzan Johnson Cook, the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, was scheduled to travel to China on Feb. 8, according to several religious freedom advocates who were invited to brief her ahead of the visit. But as the date drew near, Chinese leaders refused to grant her meetings with government officials.
They then cited her lack of meetings as a reason for denying her visa application, according to the advocates and a congressional aide were briefed on the situation but not authorized to talk about it.
The disclosure comes one day into the diplomatically sensitive visit by Xi Jinping Chinas presumptive next president and during a week Obama administration officials hoped to use to improve tense U.S.-China relations.
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