Health concerns for Pastor Wang Yi amid renewed crackdown on Early Rain Church

Reports indicate that Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church has been diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer. He is suspected to have been denied adequate healthcare and treatment throughout his prison sentence.

Pastor Wang was arrested in December 2018 amid a crackdown on the unregistered Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan Province that saw over 160 Christians apprehended by local authorities over the course of two weeks. He was subsequently sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations. He is due to be released in 2027. ChinaAid reports that his wife has only been permitted to visit him in Jintang Prison, Sichuan Province once since his sentence began.

China’s Religious Affairs Bureau also continues to crack down on Early Rain Covenant Church, which is estimated to serve at least 500 members who meet regularly in person whenever possible. On 23 September, two members of the church were released from Hongpailou Police Station after being held in administrative detention for 10 days for illegally proselytising for meeting at a teahouse to conduct a reading group. Both Elder Wu Wuqing and church member Shen Xiaoqing were fined 500 yuan and 300 yuan respectively. Nine other members of the reading group were also arrested but released without fines.

On 30 September authorities in Chengdu arrested Chen Yunfei on the charges of picking quarrels and provoking trouble. Chen is known for his work as a dissident and human rights defender and his participation in the 1989 pro-democracy movement and has been arrested three times since 2015. He most recently served a four-year prison sentence from 2021-2025 on the same charges of picking quarrels and provoking trouble. Following his release in March 2025 he had been reporting on his X account of increased pressure and intimidation in the months leading up to his detention, the most prominent example of which was his assault outside his residence by an unidentified man on 8 January 2026 which led to him needing stitches for severe facial injuries.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW is deeply concerned at reports that Pastor Wang Yi may be suffering from late-stage liver cancer. We call for his immediate release so that he can receive medical treatment, with full information being made available to his family and church regarding his diagnosis and health condition. The crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church reflects badly on China’s reputation as a member of the UN Human Rights Council and exposes its flagrant abuses of the right to freedom of religion or belief. We unreservedly condemn the crackdown of the Chinese Communist Party and authorities on unregistered churches throughout China, and the arbitrary detention and arrest of church leaders and members for engaging in peaceful everyday religious activities and gatherings.’