CHINA : Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest February 01-15
General
10.02.2025 – CCP’s Chinese New Year wishes to religions: get ready for even more control
Bitter Winter – In preparation for the Chinese New Year, Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the current top ideologist of the CCP, participated in a Spring Festival symposium attended by top leaders of government-controlled religious groups. The event, held last week, was an occasion to celebrate the Spring Festival with representatives from various religious communities. On behalf of the CCP Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping, Wang conveyed New Year greetings to pro-governments religious leaders and believers throughout the nation.
08.02.2025 – Henan Universities force students to record anti-religion videos as political task, persecuting those who refuse
AHDRRF – Several universities in Henan Province have forced students to record anti-religion videos. Those whose videos are deemed unsatisfactory are targeted for further investigation, and dozens of students have faced varying degrees of persecution.
On June 24, 2024, Xu Yang (pseudonym), a university student from Henan, was notified by the school authorities to attend a meeting at the Communist Youth League branch to record an anti-religion video. Upon arriving, Xu saw both the dean and the counselor present.
The counselor instructed Xu to read aloud from a piece of paper in front of the camera. However, upon seeing blasphemous statements on the paper, Xu hesitated but, fearing punishment, complied while deliberately mumbling the key phrases. The counselor was dissatisfied and forced her to read it again. When Xu refused, she was taken into a separate meeting room.
07.02.2025 – Incense burning boom in Chinese New Year: What it reveals about China’s spiritual needs and Church’s role
Christian Daily Church – During the Chinese New Year, the overwhelming crowds at temples and shrines across China once again drew public attention.
On January 29, the first day of the lunar calendar, Lingyin Temple, located by West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, was packed as early as 5 a.m. To secure the “first incense offering,” many people set out as early as 3 a.m. Despite freezing temperatures as low as -10°C in Beijing, worshippers queued overnight for up to ten hours to be among the first to burn incense at Yonghe Temple. By 7 a.m., 40,000 visitors had entered the temple to offer incense once the temple was open.
The Church of Almighty God
11.02.2025 – “The devil makes pots but not lids”: Publishing in China names of Church of Almighty God refugees in Italy actually helps them getting asylum
Bitter Winter – “The Devil makes pots but not lids” is an idiomatic Italian expression. It means that often the plans of the evildoers, no matter how carefully prepared, backfire. Sometimes, it even happens to the all-powerful Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“Bitter Winter” was the first media outlet to reveal the scandal of the lists of Chinese asylum seekers in Italy members of the persecuted Church of Almighty God (CAG) published with names, surnames, and all details in China on a web site called Da Ai Wang. The site is likely connected with China’s intelligence services.
Buddhists
13.02.2025 – China expels 1,000 monks and nuns from Larung Gar Buddhist Academy
Rfa – Chinese authorities have expelled over 1,000 Tibetan monks and nuns from the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in the latest blow to the major center of Tibetan Buddhist learning, sources inside Tibet with knowledge of the situation said.Citing a lack of proper residency documentation, officials said they need to reduce the number of Buddhist clergy residing at the academy from 6,000 to 5,000, the sources said.The move is the latest in a long series of steps taken by China to destroy and shrink the academy, which by the early 2000’s was home to about 40,000 Buddhist monastics.
Catholics
05.02.2025 – Catholic Church in China: The Strange Case of Bishop Ji Weizhong
Bitter Winter – According to the Vatican-China deal of 2018, renewed for another four years in 2024, the CCPand the Holy See should agree on the appointment of new Catholic bishops, although details of the deals are secret.
In several cases, we see the following scheme at work, which is unlikely to correspond to the deal. First, the CCP “elects” a bishop and publicly announces the news. Second, for several months there is no reaction from the Holy See, which strongly suggests it had not previously been informed of the election. Third, after a hiatus of months the Pope “appoints” the bishop—whose election the CCP had already announced months earlier. Fourth, a consecration ceremony is held where the Papal mandate is not mentioned at all as if it were irrelevant, while a letter of approval is read by the “Bishops’ Conference” of the Patriotic Catholic Church, which is nor recognized as such by Rome.
Falun Gong
12.02.2025 – Reported in January 2025: 97 Falun Gong Practitioners sentenced for their faith
Minghui – The Minghui.org website in January 2025 learned of 97 cases of Falun Gong practitioners sentenced to prison for their faith.
The newly confirmed cases include one that took place in 2021, two in 2022, five in 2023, fifty-four in 2024, twenty-eight in 2025, as well as seven cases with unknown occurrence years. With ever stricter information censorship under the Chinese Communist Party, many details about the practitioners’ indictments, trials, and sentences were difficult (if not impossible) to collect, which caused further delays in reporting.
11.02.2025 – After nine years behind bars, Shandong Woman detained again for practicing Falun Gong
Minghui – Ms. Lin Jianping, from Qixia City, Shandong Province, was not released after she was arrested in September 2024 for practicing Falun Gong. Her family is calling on the authorities to release her.
Ms. Lin, around 63, was arrested by officers from the Chengbei Police Station in September 2024, after they pried open her door and broke into her home. Although she was released after she failed the physical exam required for detention, she was arrested again 20 days later and held in custody. Her family has not been notified of her case status.
09.02.2025 – Fire protection engineer arrested 14 months ago, family still not notified of her detention location
Minghui – Ms. Zhao Yanhua’s family hasn’t received any update about her after her arrest on October 12, 2023, for her faith in Falun Gong. They are asking any insiders to provide information about her case.
Ms. Zhao, a 44-year-old fire protection engineer in Beijing, was recorded by surveillance cameras while distributing informational materials about Falun Gong at around 5 p.m. on October 12, 2023. Officers from the Hujialou Police Station later arrested her and searched her office. Her family has been kept in the dark about her situation, and are very worried about her safety and well-being.
Protestants
14.02.2025 – First trial verdict announced in Guangdong Shengjia Church case, preacher Deng Yanxiang and four other christians sentenced
China Aid – On January 17, 2025, the public verdict was finally announced for five Christians from Guangdong Shengjia Church charged with “illegal business operations.”
Preacher Deng Yanxiang was sentenced to two years in prison, with his term ending May 23 this year, and fined 3,000 yuan;
Wang Weicai was sentenced to one year and five months and fined 2,000 yuan;
Zhu Longjiang was sentenced to one year and three months and fined 1,000 yuan;
Zhu Qiaoling was sentenced to one year and three months and fined 1,000 yuan;
Zhu Longfei was sentenced to one year and two months and fined 1,000 yuan. The five church co-workers stated in court that they will continue to appeal.
14.02.2025 – Pastor Zhao Huaiguo of the Bethel Church in Zhangjiaje Hunan faces ongoing persecution after illegallly detained for more than 500 days
China Aid – A house church pastor in Hunan, Zhao Huaiguo, was unlawfully detained for 545 days in 2020 on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power” after bypassing internet censorship to read news reports and political commentary regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Pastor Zhao has been subjected to ongoing attention and harassment by the Hunan police and the Religious Affairs Bureau. His wife has also been fined for participating in online courses.
11.02.2025 – Hui Christian pastor charged and tried for ‘organising illegal gatherings’
csw.org – A Hui Christian pastor from China’s Yunnan Province was charged and tried on 10 February for ‘organising illegal gatherings’ in relation to a gathering of no more than ten Christians in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Ma Yan, a 32-year-old preacher from Zhenxiong, Yunnan Province, was detained along with three other Christians during a raid on a gathering at a guesthouse in Jinfeng District, Yinchuan, by police officers from the Jinfeng District Public Security Bureau, on 9 August 2024.