Musical references to the "fateful lightning of [God's] terrible, swift sword" from the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps were likely lost on the Chinese dictator during his White House welcome, but Todd Nettleton, vice president of The Voice of the Martyrs and host of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio, says that was the closest the two heads of state got to discussing justice for persecuted Chinese Christians.
"I have not seen any reporting that says religious freedom ever came up at any point in any of the conversations, and I have to say, I'm disappointed," Nettleton said.
The last time the two leaders met, in Beijing earlier this year, he noted that Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri was mentioned then later released from prison, put on a plane, and sent to America.
Nettleton pointed out there is no shortage of cases that President Trump could have raised this time.
"Maybe some of the eight pastors from Zion Church, the church of Ezra Jin, maybe bring them up to President Xi," the VOM spokesman suggested, specifically naming Pastor John Cao, who is in end-stage prostate cancer and still not allowed to leave China.
He said the persecution of Christians in China is on the rise.
"We've even heard stories from Chinese Christians about Beijing sending out trainers to local police forces all over the country, and again saying, 'This is how we manage religion; this is what you're supposed to do,'" Nettleton reported.
That is a change from the past, when religious freedom was largely left up to local authorities.
"One of the provinces that was heavily persecuting Christians and was known for heavily persecuting Christians was led by a man named Xi Jinping," the radio host noted.
Xi Jinping’s approach to Christianity is centered on state control, political loyalty and the "Sinicization of religion"—the policy of bringing religious belief and practice into alignment with Chinese culture as defined by the Communist Party.
Xi called for the Sinicization of religion in 2015, and under his leadership, the government has increasingly enforced it.
