Detained for Attempting to Share the Gospel with the President

Zhou Jinxia smiling and holding her Gospel sign.
Zhou Jinxia
Photo: ChinaAid

A Christian woman in China was detained on February 20th after repeated attempts to share the Good News with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan. In her latest attempt, the Christian woman, Zhou Jinxia, waited at Beijing's Zhongnanhai Xinhua Gate for the couple to pass by so she could personally share the Gospel message with them. According to ChinaAid, she has visited the gate with evangelistic signs over 50 times in recent years and, as a result, was detained several times.

In 2015, Zhou was detained for ten days, and again in March 2016 for allegedly "picking quarrels and provoking trouble." In 2018, she had been arrested for holding a sign that proclaimed, "God loves the people of the world and is calling out to Xi Jinping." In June 2021, she was driven from her village for her evangelistic efforts in the community.

During the most recent incident, she was removed from the area by police and returned to her hometown of Dalian. There she was charged by local authorities for allegedly causing trouble. Zhou has been described as "an unbreakable, irrepressible Christian woman." She began her campaign after coming to the realization that there will be no solution to the problems facing China unless President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan receive God in their hearts. For more reports addressing the challenges facing Christians in China, go to our country report.

Praise God for unshakable believers like Zhou who are prepared to put their own lives on the line to share the Gospel message. May the Lord give this Christian woman wisdom and guidance at this present time, as well as in the future, as she seeks to proclaim His Word to all those whom she encounters. Pray that she will soon be released from custody and granted the freedom to resume her ministry work.

  • Current Ministry Projects

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  • Country Information

    Population
    1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

    Religion (%)
    Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

    Leader
    President Xi Jinping (2013)

    Government type
    Communist party-led state

    Legal system
    Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

    Sources: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for China

    Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.

China News

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    Chen Wensheng is smiling.
    Chen Wensheng
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Chen Wensheng is no stranger to arrests and police intimidation. A radically reformed former drug addict, the Christian evangelist has travelled throughout China to share his testimony, gaining the nickname of "Gospel Warrior." (See these other reports about this faithful believer.)

  • New Health Concerns for Elder Zhang Chunlei
    Zhang Chunlei with his wife
    Elder Zhang Chunlei and his wife
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Zhang Chunlei is an elder with the Ren'ai Reformed Church in Guiyang, China. He was detained in March 2021 and remained in detention without charge until his trial in November 2022, when he was accused of "inciting subversion of state power." The trial was held in secret, without any witnesses, and a verdict has never been announced since then. In the meantime, Elder Zhang continues to remain imprisoned. (Review previously published reports about this church leader's case.)

  • Persistent Harassment Against Church Deacons
    Ding Shuqi and Jia Xuewei
    Jia Xuewei (right) with his friend, Ding Shuqi
    Photo: ChinaAid

    In 2018, the Early Rain Covenant Church was violently raided by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities, resulting in multiple arrests. Since then, members of the church have continued to face harassment, including a church deacon named Jia Xuewei. Click here for previous reports on Jia's situation.

  • High Security for Trial
    Chen Wensheng is smiling.
    Evangelist Chen Wensheng
    Photo: ChinaAid

    The case of Chen Wensheng was heard by the Hengyang City Shigu District People's Court on April 18th. However, when Chen's relatives and friends arrived that morning to attend the trial, they found about 40 black-clad special force officers guarding the entrance of the court building. In addition, the entire street was blocked off under the pretext of performing a "drill" so that any supporters could be prevented from attending the trial. Despite aggressive actions by the police, Chen's supporters are reported to have demonstrated "patience and calmness."