Lawyer Faces Removal of License

23 November 2005

The Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on November 9 that the law firm representing Pastor Cai and several other religious rights cases had been suspended from operations for a year (click here to read more). With the visit of U.S. President Bush, the head of the firm, Gao Zhisheng, was ordered to leave Beijing to prevent him from contacting the U.S. delegation. According to a November 22 report from China Aid Association (CAA), Gao now faces the removal of his license to practice law. He, his wife and 12-year-old daughter have also faced threats from secret police. Gao reports that the police have repeatedly attempted to force his car off the road. Gao has recently become a Christian and intends to be baptized in a house church soon.

CAA encourages concerned Christians, particularly those who know Chinese, to express their concern for Brother Gao. His email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. His telephone number is +86-10-81990759. You can also contact Wu Yuhua, Director General of the Beijing Judicial Bureau, to express your concern about they suspension of Gao's law license at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone +86-10-58575683.

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.