Updates from China

27 September 2006

(a) Bishop Wu Released:
Chinese Bishop Wu, arrested on September 11 in southern Zhouzhi, has been released after five days of detention, according to a September 20 report from Asia News (for details on his arrest, click here). Since his release, Wu has been in the hospital suffering from a slight concussion which some observers believe to be the result of maltreatment during custody.

(b) Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo Released:
Asia News reported on September 26 that Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo was released on September 25 after more than ten months of "study sessions" by Chinese authorities. Upon his release, Zhiguo was able to meet with local priests; something he has been restricted from doing on previous occasions.

In April it was reported that Bishop Zhiguo was released from detention but remained under house arrest (click here for more). VOMC has since learned that he had not been released but underwent treatment in hospital and then returned to custody. Zhiguo has been detained at least eight times since January 2004.

(c) Guilty Verdict Overturned:
In March 2006, Li Huimin was sentenced to one year of "re-education through labour" for participating in an "illegal gathering" (for more details, click here). According to China Aid Association, a court in Henan Province revoked that sentence on August 20. While the court still considered the Easter celebration he was attending illegal, the sentence was revoked because of "inappropriate citation of the legal articles." It is believed this is the first such lawsuit won by a Christian in China.

Despite the good news, Bob Fu of China Aid Association notes: "It is still too early to believe it is a sign that the Chinese government is changing its policy on religious freedom, because the proper Christian gathering in this case is still considered illegal."

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.

China News

House Church Bible Study Gathering Raided

One of the church members being interrogated by police.
Photo: ChinaAid

Several Christians were gathered on the morning of August 22nd for a Bible study at the Beijing Holy Love Fellowship church when multiple police officers suddenly entered the facility. After demanding to see the believers' identification cards, the authorities recorded the personal details of all those who were present. At the time of publishing this report, no official statement or charges have been issued by the Beijing police.

Read more...
Pastor Arrested for "Illegal Business Operations"

Pastor Huang Yizi
Photo: ChinaAid

Pastor Huang Yizi, a prominent church leader in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was informed on July 30th that he had been formally charged with "illegal business practices" relating to the distribution of sermon recordings. The Christian leader and several other church members were initially taken into custody on June 26th. At the time, the reason for their arrests was unclear. (A previously published report about the arrests is available here.) However, following the recent announcement of formal charges, further information has now come to light.

Read more...
Detained Pastor's Family Faces Harassment

Pastor Chang Shun with one of his children.
Photo: ChinaAid

Since 2021, Pastor Chang Shun of the Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang City has encountered ongoing harassment from Chinese authorities. Unfortunately, all his appeals, in response to the multiple administrative detentions and fines he received over the years, have been unsuccessful. In 2023, Pastor Chang's church was officially banned by the government. Most recently, the harassed church leader was detained on June 29th during a raid by law enforcement officers. In this latest occurrence, he was taken into custody alongside Elder Ma Tao on suspicion of "organizing illegal gatherings." Several visiting friends and family members of Pastor Chang were also detained. Authorities forcibly relocated the visiting individuals, loading their belongings onto trucks and sending them back to their hometowns with strict orders not to return to Fuyang.

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Christian Lawyer Remains Missing After Eight Years

Gao Zhisheng
Photo: ChinaAid

For many years, Gao Zhisheng was a bold advocate for persecuted religious communities in China. While serving as a lawyer representing various faith groups, he himself was frequently harassed and arrested. In 2005, Gao's law practice was shut down by the government after he publicly condemned the human rights violations that were being committed against practitioners of a religious movement known as Falun Gong.

Read more...