China: Fears of a crackdown?

How you’re helping us to stand against the rising pressure on Christians.

Across China, the increasing pressure on Christians continues. We’re hearing reports from towns and cities throughout the country of the government taking increased action against Christians – part of a broader recent crackdown on human rights in general.

The city of Wenzhou, in Zhejiang province, is known as ‘China’s Jerusalem’ because of its large and vibrant Christian population. In 2014 CSW collated more than 400 reports of churches in the province being demolished or threatened with demolition, or having their crosses torn down. But your support is helping us to raise this issue at the highest political levels internationally, so we can press for change!

In 2014 we received information from China-based NGOs, human rights lawyers, academics, diplomats, missionaries and religious leaders which consistently showed that the atmosphere in China has changed since President Xi Jinping came to power in November 2012. While there are different theories about why this is happening, we’re hearing the same reports of a crackdown on human rights and civil society from a broad spectrum of people across Chinese society.

Fears of a crackdown

The violence and church demolitions we saw in Zhejiang, which has such an established Christian population, were a huge shock to the province’s Christian community and to international observers too. What’s more, there are growing concerns among large urban churches which enjoy a good relationship with local officials, that the government’s oppression of civil society, and the hostility towards all forms of ‘dissident’ activity, may signal a change in approach to unregistered religious activities. Leaders of unregistered churches fear that the Chinese Communist Party’s emphasis on ‘rule of law’ could also translate into a crackdown on ‘illegal’ religious organisations operating outside the state-approved framework.

CSW bringing truth to light

We’ve collated the most complete information we can on the church demolitions and cross removals, and created a timeline which we’re using in meetings with politicians and decision-makers and the media. Using that information we’ll be able to provide them with an accurate picture of what’s been happening in Zhejiang province, and elsewhere in China, and recommend action they can take. In March this year we went to Brazil to meet representatives of the Brazilian government. They’ve used their international influence before to raise religious freedom issues, so we produced a special report on China to inform them of the latest developments. We’ll be following up with them in the coming months on what they’re able to do to raise awareness of the religious freedom violations in China.

Join us to pray for China!

We’re holding a special week of prayer for China during the week of 17 May. We’d love you to join us, maybe getting your church or small group involved, and see what miracles our awesome God will do when we lift China up in prayer!

During the China Week of Prayer we’ll send you a daily prayer update email, with links to free prayer resources and a video on our website.

• sign up now at www.csw.org.uk/prayforchina
• Donate to fund our work in China and beyond at www.csw.org.uk/donate