Updates on Recent Reports from China

21 April 2004

^{Bishop Jia Zhiguo}

(a) On April 14, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the arrest of Catholic Bishop Jia Zhiguo on April 5 (click here for more details). Praise God that he was released on the afternoon of April 14.

(b) On March 31, VOM reported that key Chinese leaders were meeting with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva to report on the atrocities committed by the Chinese government against Christians. (click here for more information).

Based on these testimonies and others, the United States sponsored a motion to censure China for its human rights record. In response, China introduced a "no-action" motion to block discussion. This tactic was approved, with twenty-eight members voting with China and only sixteen voting against. Click here for a list of member countries and their vote. It is significant to note that the majority of countries who voted with China are those with less then stellar human rights records. Click here to check out VOM's country reports.

^{Lin Bocheng}

This was the eleventh time that China has defeated such a motion since 1990. In response, the vice president of the government-authorized China Foundation for Human Rights Development, Lin Bocheng, said that the US-led resolution had disregarded the "remarkable progress" China had made in human rights. Spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs, Glenn Penner, remarked, "I am somewhat puzzled by what the Chinese governments means by 'progress.' Given the rise of reported cases of religious persecution in the last year, I suspect most Christians in China would define it rather differently."

Pray that international pressure will continue against the Chinese government. Pray that the day will come when Chinese Christians will be free to worship without government interference.

For more information on persecution in China, click here.

China

Current Ministry Projects
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development
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.