In 1949, The People's Republic of China was formed under Chairman Mao Zedong. He quickly began purging the country of anything that did not coincide with his vision of a communist nation, resulting in millions of deaths.

In 1950, China invaded Tibet, forcing its leader, the Dalai Lama, into exile in India and forcing the communist system on the people of Tibet.

In recent years there has been a move to a free market economy. However, that freedom has not carried over into human rights and religious freedom.

China's human rights record is one of the worst in the world, with a system of "re-education through labour" which detains hundreds of thousands each year in work camps without even a court hearing. There are more Christians in prison in China than any other country in the world. The only legal churches are those strictly controlled by the government of China. Those who do not wish to follow government policies on religious practice and beliefs must meet in homes and risk being labeled as "evil cults." Such a designation can result in closing down the church, confiscation of property, and charges against the leadership, often resulting in torture, imprisonment and death.

In November, 2004, a new set of regulations was announced which is to govern religious affairs. While they claim that these regulations will bring about significant steps toward religious freedom, it appears that they only serve to codify policies throughout various existing laws. Ironically, it was during the same month that China Aid was able to obtain a document which had been issued on May 27, 2004, outlining their agenda to "boost Marxist atheism research, propaganda, and education." One intention is to "ban all uncivilized conduct in spreading superstitions," causing people to be "educated, spirits enriched, their state of thought improved."  Stronger involvement is urged in the media, with particular attention to the Internet as "a new tool to conduct Marxist atheism propaganda and education."  While the document purports to support freedom of religion, it calls on officials to make a distinction between religion and "superstition."  This designation has been frequently used against religious beliefs which do not support the government's Marxist position.  This document helps to explain an increase in government suppression of house churches, the Internet and Christian literature. To view the document online, click here.

A second official Chinese government document outlines a new offensive on underground house churches.  In part, the document reads:  "We have dealt with the Falun-gong. We have arrested and put their leaders on the run. Now we must resolutely and strongly deal with the unregistered house churches. They are too numerous -- too many. We must deal with them strongly."  The document suggests the increased pressure would be from April to August 2005. It was reported that on May 22, 2005 during Sunday worship time, police and Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers simultaneously raided approximately 60 house churches in Changchun, the capital city of Jilin province in northeastern China.  In the days following, an additional 40 churches in the area were also raided. More than 600 house church believers and leaders were taken into custody. Most were released after 24 to 48 hours of interrogation, but approximately 100 leaders continued to be held in different detention centers.

During 2004, several mass arrests clarified the government’s objectives regarding house churches. In a single raid on a leadership retreat on June 11, 2004 police arrested more than one hundred leaders of the China Gospel Fellowship (CGF) house church movement. Chinese authorities also raided a leadership retreat on July 12, 2004 arresting over one hundred church leaders. Then for the third time in two months, Chinese authorities rounded up large numbers of house church leaders as they gathered together for mutual encouragement and fellowship in August, 2004.

There has been no respite from individual arrests, imprisonment and torture, either. On June 18, 2004 Ms. Jiang Zongxiu was beaten to death while in prison (for more details, click here). Despite reports in the Chinese media and several appeals to higher authorities, there was no serious investigation into the case.  Initially, the authorities claimed she had died of heart failure, despite the obvious wounds on her body from the beatings. 

Later, on September 11, 2004 Pastor Cai Zhuohua was kidnapped by plain-clothed officers while he was waiting for a bus in Beijing.  On September 27 his wife, Xiao Yunfei was arrested while in hiding.  Her brother, Xiao Gaowen, and sister-in-law, Hu Jinyun, were also arrested. According to sources close to the Chinese authorities, the central government labeled this case the most serious case of overseas religious infiltration since the founding of the People's Republic of China . According to China Aid, Qiang Wei, deputy General Secretary of Politics and Law Commission of Beijing, issued a handwritten directive "Yan Ban," meaning to deal with this case harshly and severely. It was later learned that Pastor Cai Zhuohua was tortured by police using an electric cattle prod.

The unregistered Catholic Church which maintains allegiance to the Vatican has been subject to a concentrated effort to quash their growth. The Vatican has worked extensively to bring about the release of their clergy, only to have the government respond with yet more repression. AsiaNews reported that the 83-year-old Auxiliary Bishop of Xiwanzi in Hebei Province was detained and subjected to "re-education."  The 83-year-old Bishop Yao Liang was arrested on March 31,2005 and then released in mid-April.  Soon after his release, he was again detained.  The purpose of the "re-education" is undoubtedly to convince the bishop to leave the underground Catholic Church and join the official government church.

These are only a few of the thousands of Christians risking their lives daily in China, whose only crime is faith in Jesus Christ.  Thankfully, the government has been responsive at times to international pressure.  However, this responsiveness is sporadic and too frequently Western governments have been more obsessed with gaining access into the huge Chinese market than to require basic human rights for the people.

Despite the opposition, the church in China is growing rapidly; something the government is fighting hard to contain. One estimate suggests that six percent of China's population is Christian. By contrast, Tibet has an estimated total of three hundred Christians.

• Pray for spiritual and physical strength for the thousands of Christians in prison for their faith in China.
• Pray for boldness for Christians in sharing the Gospel, despite the dangers that they face.
• Pray that international governments will hold China accountable for its abhorrent record of human rights.