Tacoma Mayor’s Letter to Xi Praises China’s Religious Freedom

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The mayor of a Seattle-area city praised China’s government for “safeguarding” religious liberty after she visited the country, in a private letter she addressed to Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) last year. In the missive, Victoria Woodards, then mayor of Tacoma, Washington, also revealed that during the May 2025 trip, which was likely funded by Beijing, she had toured the Shanghai production site of a Chinese state-owned aviation giant blacklisted by the Pentagon.

“The temple’s thriving incense offerings and continuous stream of devotees gave me a profound appreciation for the vibrant development of religious activities in China, which fully reflects the Chinese government...

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