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China

• Remembering John Cao

  

  The communist rule of China, which began in 1949 with Mao Zedong, set the stage for what is known to be one of the world's worst countries for persecution in the past century. Christians, among other religious groups, have faced house arrest, imprisonment, torture, and even death, for their refusal to subject themselves to government control. Even churches that do agree to be state-monitored and registered are not exempt due to the severe restrictions imposed upon them.

• Churches Ordered to Replace Cross

  

  Churches throughout Jiangxi received a warning in early July from authorities demanding that all crosses be removed, and instead they were to be replaced with the national flag or an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The warning also demanded that they keep all children away from church.

• Tortured Pastor Released from Imprisonment!

  

  Imprisoned pastor Yang Hua returned to his home in Guizhou province on June 19th after suffering mistreatment during his two-and-a-half-year jail term. Yang was first imprisoned on December 9th, 2015, after police raided Living Stone Church. He was charged with "illegally possessing state secrets," as well as divulging those secrets. For more information on his arrest and conviction, click here.

• Underground and Official Churches Targeted
  
  Posters are often torn down or painted
  over if they contain Christian messages.
  Photo: ChinaAid

  As of the end of May, almost 100 house churches in the central Chinese province of Henan have been shut down. Along with those closures, authorities have taken action against the official Three-Self Patriot Movement churches, demanding that all crosses be removed from their buildings.

  According to a member of an official church, after orders were received to remove the crosses, they chose to remove them on their own, rather than face demolition by government crews. "No one dares defy the orders," he stated.

• Increasing Pressure on House Churches
  
  The Huaqiu Church
  Photo: ChinaAid

  Authorities in China have been continuing their campaign against Christianity, targeting unregistered house churches. In recent days, at least two churches in Beijing have been raided by authorities who pressured landlords to cancel the leases.

  On May 6th, several dozen officers from the Public Security Bureau entered a church service. While the service was allowed to continue, officials took pictures of those present. Two days later, the landlord revoked their lease.

• Coming Storm for Chinese Christians
  
  Chinese official removing a
  religious mural from a home.

  A leading campaigner has warned of a gathering storm for persecuted Christians in China. Bob Fu, a ministry partner of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada, reports that the persecution of Christians has worsened dramatically under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and it could get worse now that he has been declared president for life.

• Human Rights Advocate Mysteriously Dies
  
  Human rights lawyer Li Baiguang with former U.S. President George W. Bush.
  Photo: ChinaAid

  Well-known Chinese Christian human rights lawyer Li Baiguang died in a military hospital on February 26th, despite being in good health just days before. There are concerns that the authorities were involved in his death. Li was taken to the hospital with minor stomach pains and within hours declared dead. The hospital alleges that he had severe liver problems and bled to death, even though he had no previous indications of health problems.

• Services Hindered by Government Interference
  
  Believers in China are persevering despite opposition.
  Photo: ChinaAid

  Two Nanle Church congregations in China's central Henan province had their services tampered with this past Christmas by government authorities. The Hongen Church, which is located in the city of Puyang, was forcibly locked by authorities in order to prevent Christians from organizing Christmas services.

• South Koreans Expelled from Border
  
  The Yalu River forms the border
  between China and North Korea.
  Photo: World Watch Monitor

  Hundreds of South Korean Christians, including church leaders, have been sent home within the past year by three northeastern provincial governments in a move that is seen to be an implementation of a new set of rules to control religious activities.

  It's estimated that there were over a thousand South Korean pastors and missionaries working in the northeast part of China, and their departure has led to numerous church closures and abandoned communities. In January of this year, 32 South Korean missionaries were expelled from the Yanji region in Jilin Province, which nears the border of North Korea. By early October, there were no remaining South Korean churches in Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province.

• Family of Three Detained by Authorities

  

  On September 22nd, officials in Xianning, Hubei Province, arrested a pastor, her daughter and three-year-old grandson. After the three had engaged in a house church outreach, which took place in the central part of the country, police and religious affairs officials became upset by the event, resulting in the arrest of the three family members.