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Hua Huiqi and Liu Fenggang Photos from China Aid | |
For more information facing Chinese Christians, visit China's Country Report
![]() | ![]() |
Hua Huiqi and Liu Fenggang Photos from China Aid | |
For more information facing Chinese Christians, visit China's Country Report
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
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 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.

In 2017, Pastor John Cao was arrested by Chinese authorities for allegedly "organizing illegal border crossings." Sentenced to seven years in prison, he was finally freed in March 2024. Following his release, Pastor John hoped to reunite with his wife and two children in the United States, where he holds permanent residency. However, Chinese authorities have withheld the church leader's passport, forcing him to remain in China. (For more details, see our previously published report.)

In August 2022, police raided a family camp run by the Linfen Covenant House Church, resulting in numerous arrests and the closure of both the church and its affiliated school. (For additional details, see these reports.) Among those arrested were Pastor Li Jie, Han Xiaodong and Wang Qiang.

Zhang Chunlei is an elder with the Ren'ai Reformed Church in Guiyang, China. Following his arrest in March 2021, he was sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly "inciting subversion of state power." The Christian leader also received accusations of fraud relating to the receipt of church offerings – a charge commonly used to suppress unregistered congregations. Fellow believers describe the elder as a "gentle, yet firm spiritual leader."

Religious rights advocates are raising serious concerns regarding the increased level of control that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is presently exerting over the Roman Catholic church in China. As a result of a 2018 agreement between the Vatican and the Chinese government, state officials have already been given the authority to appoint bishops – ensuring that the church's leadership remains amenable towards the policies of the CCP.