CHINA: Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest April 01-15
General
08.04.2025 – Religious activities by foreigners in China: new restrictions from May 1
Bitter Winter – On April 1, the State Administration for Religious Affairs published its Order no. 23, which offers a new comprehensive regulation of the religious activities of foreigners in China.
Most of what is included in Order no. 23 confirms provisions that were already in force, dispersed through a variety of regulations. The general principle of China’s management of religion is that the only legal religious activities are those managed by the five authorized religions under the control of the United Front Working Department. The government-controlled religions are by definition “autonomous,” meaning they should not have regular relations with foreign entities. Religious activities by foreigners in China, unless they are part of official delegations invited by the CCP-controlled religious bureaucrats, the United Front, or the Party for public relations or propaganda purposes, are viewed with hostility, generally discouraged, and strictly regulated.
Buddhists
14.04.2025 – Surprise: Lama Humkar Dorje Rinpoche “Died in Vietnam”
Bitter Winter – Earlier this month, we reported in “Bitter Winter” that Chinese authorities on April 5 told his monks that Lama Humkar Dorje Rinpoche, who had been “disappeared” in late 2024, was dead. The 56-year-old Lama was the abbot of Longen Monastery, which is located in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai province, which is part of historical Tibet but not of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). He was also a famous educator with thousands of devotees, and was known for his criticism of Chinese repression of Tibetan culture and the false Panchen Lama Beijing tries to impose on Tibetans.
11.04.2025 – Vigil, prayer and protest demand probe into death of Tibetan Buddhist leader
RFA – Tibetan Youth Congress activists protested outside the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi on Friday following the death of revered Tibetan religious leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje while in custody in Vietnam.In Dharamsala, dozens of Tibetan devotees marched in the streets for a candlelight prayer and vigil.
The Tibetan government-in-exile called Tuesday for an independent investigation into the death.Human rights groups contend that Tulku Hungkar Dorje was arrested from his hotel room in Ho Chi Minh City in a joint operation by local police and Chinese government agents. He was reportedly transferred to Chinese custody where he mysteriously died the same day, they added.
Catholics
03.04.2025 – China’s new religious restrictions severely limit foreign missionary activity
CNA – New restrictions from China’s United Front ban foreign clergy from presiding over religious activities for Chinese people without the invitation of the Chinese government, severely limiting foreign missionary activity in the country.
According to the regulations, which will go into effect on May 1, “collective religious activities organized by foreigners in China are restricted to foreign participants only” with few exceptions.
The restrictions apply to believers of any religion, strictly prohibiting non-Chinese citizens residing in the country from establishing religious organizations, preaching without authorization, founding religious schools, producing or selling religious books, accepting religious donations, or recruiting Chinese citizens as religious followers.
04.04.2025 – China’s new religion laws a ‘pretext’ for arrests, clerics say
The Pillar – The rules, issued by the party’s National Religious Affairs Administration, ban foreign nationals from common worship with Chinese citizens, and require all visitors to affirm the national independence of Chinese Churches and faith communities.
The restrictions, which also ban any form of religious practice by visitors in unofficial locations, mark an escalation in Chinese control of religion on the mainland, and come six months after the extension of the Vatican’s controversial agreement with the Chinese government.
The new measures, which clerics in China told The Pillar were likely aimed at creating a “pretext” for arresting foreign nationals for religious activity, suggest that six years after the Holy See’s accord with China, the Church faces less, not more, freedom to operate.
Falun Gong
14.04.2025 – 77-year-old retired teacher admitted to prison to serve a two-year term for his faith
Minghui – A Falun Gong practitioner in Mengyin County, Shandong Province, was sentenced to two years for his faith on June 11, 2024 and admitted to the Shandong Province Prison on March 26, 2025, Minghui.org recently learned.
Mr. Ma Fumin, a 77-year-old retired elementary school teacher, was arrested at home in early August 2022, by officers from the Mengyin County Police Department and the Jiuzhai Village Police Station. The police only produced a QR code and claimed that to be the search warrant. They confiscated his Falun Gong books and informational materials.
During the raid, Ms. Ma’s wife, Ms. Wang Huanfen, noticed the police placed a roll of posters into their closet and then took it out, alleging that it was something confiscated from the home.
12.04.2025 – Hebei woman, her daughter and son-in-law sentenced to prison for practicing Falun Gong
Minghui – The Mentougou District Court in Beijing sentenced three members of a family for their shared faith in Falun Gong.
Ms. Yu Shikun, 62, and her daughter, Ms. Liu Meili, both live in Wangdu County, Hebei Province. Ms. Liu’s husband, Mr. An Chaoxu, also from Hebei, works in Beijing, about 130 miles away. He and his wife were arrested in Beijing on April 25, 2024, while she was visiting him. His mother-in-law was arrested in Hebei on June 12, 2024 and taken to Beijing hours later.
08.04.2025 – Reported in March 2025: Thirteen Falun Gong practitioners die as a result of persecution
Minghui – The cases of thirteen Falun Gong practitioners who lost their lives due to the persecution were reported in March 2025.
The thirteen newly-reported deaths include one each that took place in 2019, 2020, and 2023, three in 2024, and seven in 2025. Except for one practitioner whose gender and age were unknown, the other twelve deceased practitioners, nine female and three male, were between the ages of 52 and 92 at the time of their passings, including two in their 50s, five in their 70s, three in their 80s, and two in their 90s.
The thirteen practitioners came from nine provinces. Hubei recorded the most cases of three, followed by two in both Liaoning and Heilongjiang, and the remaining six regions, including Guangdong, Hebei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, and Sichuan, each had one case.
Protestants
10.04.2025 – Chinese dissident writer Li Xuewen was forced to move by the local government shortly after being baptized
China Aid – The spring of 2025, for Christian writer Li Xuewen, living in Wuhan, Jiangcheng, was a dramatic time in his faith journey. After experiencing more than two decades of spiritual seeking, Li was baptized into Christ on the evening of March 30 in Wuhan. The peace following his baptism was quickly shattered by government authorities.
07.04.2025 – Shengjia Church news: Five Christians charged with “illegal business operations” have their appeal case accepted.
China Aid – According to reports, five leaders and co-workers from Guangdong Foshan Shunde’s Shengjia Church – Zhu Longfei, Deng Yanxiang, Zhu Longjiang, Wang Weicai, and Zhu Qiaoling – were convicted of “illegal business operations” on January 16, 2025, when they received their verdict documents.
All five Christians were found guilty. They disagreed with the verdict and immediately appointed lawyers to appeal. Recently, the Foshan Intermediate Court has accepted their appeal. On the morning of April 5, Elder Zhu Longfei, Brother Wang Weicai, Brother Zhu Longjiang, and Sister Zhu Qiaoling went to the Foshan Intermediate Court to inquire about their case.
07.04.2025 – Linfen Covenant House Church members face continued harassment and threats from multiple government departments affecting their freedom
China Aid- According to an open prayer request letter issued by Shanxi Linfen Covenant House Church on April 7, 2025, recently, police stations, village committee officials, and community management offices from various districts in Linfen city – such as Yaodu District Railway Station Street Police Station, Yaodu District Construction Community, Yaodu District Sanyuan Community, Xiangning County Public Security, and Pu County Tailin Public Security – have been continuously and frequently calling members of Linfen Covenant House Church, asking them to cooperate with the police by signing documents and requesting face-to-face conversations, seriously affecting the lives of church brothers and sisters.
05.04.2025 – Chen Wensheng of Hunan Hengyang resumes Evangelism immediately upon release from prison
China Aid – Chen Wensheng, a Christian from Hengyang, Hunan who was sentenced to one year and seven months in prison for “organizing and funding illegal gatherings” due to his years of street evangelism, was released from prison on April 2, 2025. On the day of his release, Chen Wensheng was escorted by local police from Deshan Prison to a hotel in Hengyang city. He and his wife resumed street evangelism that same day.
03.04.2025 – Jiangxi province authorities closed down Christian venue in Yongxiu city, imposed fines and confiscated property
China Aid – An administrative penalty notice has undoubtedly revealed that a venue used for Christian gatherings in Yongxiu County, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, was penalized for being “privately established,” once again sparking widespread discussion about China’s religious policies. This incident highlights the plight faced by house churches in China.