Attacks on Christian Groups

10 January 2007

^{Dr. Li Baiguang and others have
faced opposition from police recently}

This past week brought two attacks on Christians by local police in China, according to January 8 report from China Aid Association.

On January 1, the local police raided a Christian Bible Study in Baoding City, Hebei province. The Christians were gathered in a Communist Party school when police arrived at approximately 10:00 a.m. The police took over forty Christians away to be interrogated, including well-known Christian legal activist Dr. Li Baiguang and vice president of the school and Professor Gung Sude (50), who was hosting the study. Although most of the group was released that evening, Sude was released after several days of investigation. She is currently under tight surveillance.

On January 4, the local police attacked a Christian meeting in Anlou village, Henan province. They brought three Christians to the police station, including a house church seminary lecturer, An Wenqing. Two of them were released that day but Wenqing was released on January 5 after fourteen hours of police interrogation.

Pray for those who were imprisoned and interrogated and ask that their trust in Christ will overshadow any fear. Pray that Christians in China will continue to meet together and find mutual encouragement and support (Hebrews 10:23-25).

For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, go to the China Country Report.

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.