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China

• Teachers Forced to Deny Religious Beliefs

   

  

  Authorities in Wenzhou City have recently mandated that all teachers must sign a "Public Pledge Form." The document forbids educators from professing any religious beliefs and also demands that they agree not to engage in any practice or propagation of religion. Along with these enforced requirements, they must also support Marxist socialist principles.

• Early Rain Covenant Church Further Targeted

  

  In December 2018, security forces raided the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan. More than a hundred members were arrested, including Pastor Wang Yi, who has since been sentenced to nine years in prison. The location where the congregation met has been demolished and authorities have officially banned all future gatherings. Despite these measures, members of the church have sought alternate ways to continue meeting for worship and share the message of the Gospel. In response, security forces have continued to intimidate church members.

• Opposition From Many Fronts

  

  Sources in China have indicated that the persecution facing Christians at this time may be the worst since the radical actions of the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong. Crosses are being torn down around the country and the central government has insisted on obtaining control of churches. A policy of Sinicization has been instituted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), in its attempts to eliminate what is perceived as foreign influence and make everything fit under its concept of Chinese culture and beliefs.

• Arrested for "Illegal Business Practices"

  

  A well-known Chinese businesswoman has been arrested and charged with "illegal business practices," an accusation frequently used to stifle the criticism of political dissidents. Geng Xiaonan was detained on September 9th, along with her husband Qin Zhen. According to Geng's lawyer, the charges relate to her involvement in 8,000 illegal publications; a number which has since grown to approximately 200,000 and even includes cooking magazines.

• Advocate in America Faces Death Threats

   

  

  Bob Fu (Fu Xiqiu), the founder and president of ChinaAid, is a ministry partner with The Voice of the Martyrs. In addition to providing support for Christians in China, the organization he established in 2002 highlights human rights abuses in the country.

• Update on John Cao

  

  In a recent letter from prison, Pastor John Cao was able to report that he is in good health and his blood pressure is now normal. While missing family and friends around the world, he asked his mother to pass along greetings, stating that he has not stopped interceding for the health, peace and faith of others.

• Summer Camp Raided

   

  

  A church-run summer camp was raided on August 23rd, resulting in the confiscation of personal and church property, as well as the temporary detention of the pastor and his wife. The police and religious bureau officials claim that the church in Gushi was organizing religious events without authorization. According to one church leader, Wang Guangming, the students were learning music theory when the raid occurred.

• Close Monitoring of Pastor's Wife and Son

  

  Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church is presently serving a nine-year prison sentence. He was arrested, along with his wife, in December 2018. While Pastor Wang's wife, Jiang Rong, was released on bail, the authorities have barred her from interacting with family, friends, and church members. She is being constantly monitored by security agents and essentially has no freedom of movement.

• Video Visit for John Cao

  

  In March 2017, Cao San-Qiang (John Cao) was detained and accused of "organizing illegal border crossings" between Myanmar and China. Pastor Cao, who is married to an American citizen, has been a long-time resident of North Carolina. Well known for his humanitarian work among the poor in Myanmar's Wa State, he has built 16 schools that serve 2,000 impoverished children.

• Churches Converted to Cultural Centres

  

  As China continues its crackdown on churches, some state-approved Three-Self Churches have been "voluntarily" converted into cultural centres. In Jiangsu province, the Flowing Stream Church was disbanded in 2019, accused of "occupying the village's cultural base." It has now been turned into the "Yangzai Township Flowing Stream Village Cultural Service Centre" where the socialist principles of President Xi are promoted, in the governing officials' attempt to spread "positive energy" to the community.