General
09.02.2026 – A Chinese christian’s charitable endeavor and spiritual dilemma
Bitter Winter – I am an ordinary Chinese Christian who was baptized in 2024 at a church affiliated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement.
After baptism, I was filled with a deep desire to live out my faith, and the most direct way to do so was to practice the teaching of “loving others as myself” through charitable work. James 1:27 in the Bible states: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Buddhists
02.02.2026 – China criticizes decision to award a Grammy to the Dalai Lama
Apnews – Beijing on Monday criticized the Dalai Lama ’s first Grammy win, describing the music industry award for an audiobook, narration and storytelling as “a tool for anti-China political manipulation.”
The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, who lives in exile in India, took the award on Sunday for his book, “Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”
He said in a statement on his website that he saw the award “as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility.”
Catholics
09.02.2026 – ‘Official’ Chinese Church backs ban on unregistered clergy
Ucanews – China’s state-sanctioned Catholic bishops’ body has issued a statement supporting the government’s ban on unregistered clergy engaging in pastoral work and using unapproved sites for worship
The statement from the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) referred to the government’s Regulations on Religious Affairs, saying religious affairs relate to “vital interests” of believers and must adhere to “the national and public interests.”
The statement posted on Feb. 4 on the conference’s official site noted that religious activities are a concrete manifestation of citizens’ right to freedom of religious belief, which should be exercised “in accordance with the law.”
Protestants
13.02.2026 – Offerings and tithings labeled as “fraud”: verdict announced in the Hefei Ganquan Church case
China Aid – After more than two years of prolonged legal wrangling and repeated procedural delays, two clergy members of Ganquan Church in Hefei, Anhui Province, were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment on Friday. Legal observers view this ruling as yet another typical case of Chinese authorities using criminal charges, especially the crime of “fraud,” to suppress house churches not officially approved by the government.
According to a statement released by family members on Friday, the Hefei court handed down harsh sentences to Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu. Zhou Songlin was sentenced to four years and six months in prison and fined RMB 30,000; Ding Zhongfu was sentenced to four years in prison and fined RMB 28,000.
In addition, the court ordered the recovery of more than RMB 360,000 in so-called “illegal gains” and sealed and seized relevant real estate and bank accounts.
12.02.2026 – Early Rain Covenant church faces large-scale crackdown: Li Yingqiang and Tai Zhichao formally arrested on “inciting subversion” charge, multiple individuals in alarming situations.
China Aid – The persecution of Early Rain Covenant Church has escalated again at the beginning of 2026.
According to the church’s latest prayer request update released today, Elder Li Yingqiang and Preacher Dai Zhichao, who were taken away during the “January 6 mass arrest,” were formally arrested on February 12 on the serious charge of “inciting subversion of state power.”
On January 6, 2026, Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church and relevant members were subjected to a large-scale law enforcement operation, with multiple core members detained. The latest developments are as follows:
Elder Li Yingqiang and Preacher Dai Zhichao who were formally arrested are currently being held at the Deyang Detention Center. Family members officially received the arrest notices from the police on February 12. Both are charged with “inciting subversion of state power.”
05.02.2026 – China, Three-Self Church ready to enforce the new propaganda regulations
Bitter Winter – The Chinese Communist Party’s new “Regulations on Ideological and Political Work” were introduced with the seriousness typically reserved for constitutional changes or the launch of a new space station.
As “Bitter Winter” has noted, this document is a solemn call for total ideological mobilization. Every sector, every institution, and every citizen must now serve as a channel for Xi Jinping Thought.
As usual, the government-controlled Three-Self Church has eagerly stepped up, ready to show it is the most compliant channel of them all.
02.02.2026 – Fujian: Police mobilized to demolish village‑funded temple, several injured
Bitter Winter – A violent clash erupted in Panling Village, Minhou County, Fuzhou, on January 25, when the Chinese authorities deployed more than one hundred police officers to demolish a village‑funded temple forcibly. Several residents were injured as they attempted to block the operation.
Villagers told “Bitter Winter” that the temple had been under construction for 5 years and was entirely financed by local donations—over 2 million yuan (approximately USD 280,000).
Throughout the construction period, they say, no government department issued warnings, objections, or demolition notices.
01.02.2026 – Exclusive : Bob Fu on being imprisoned for “illegal evangelism” and his resilient for religious freedom and rule of law in China.
China Aid – On February 1, Dr. Jim Garlow, founder of Well Versed, conducted an interview with Dr. Bob Fu, who recounted his escape from China and offered insights into China’s policies, communism, and the severe persecution faced by Chinese Christians.
As a leader in the student democracy movement at Tiananmen Square, Dr. Bob Fu provided a firsthand account of the Chinese Communist Party’s violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations and the severe interrogations he endured as a result of his involvement.
These experiences led him to lose confidence in the political system, and during this period, his heart was powerfully transformed by the Lord. In the interview with Dr. Jim Garlow, he explains that the gospel “turned his life completely upside down.”
Falun Gong
14.02.2026 – 74-year-old woman given fifth prison sentence for her faith in Falun Gong
Minghui – A 74-year-old woman in Xinyang City, Henan Province, was recently sentenced to one and a half years for her faith in Falun Gong.
Ms. Zhang Qiuju was arrested in late June 2025 by Gao Zhihai and Li Shiwei of the Shihe District Domestic Security Office.
She was held at the Xinyang City First Detention Center. Minghui.org confirmed in January 2026 that she was convicted by the Huangchuan County Court, and that she has appealed the verdict.
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12.01.2026 – Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang province: Six residents arrested for practicing Falun Gong
Minghui – Six Falun Gong practitioners in Qitaihe City, Heilongjiang Province, were arrested on January 31, 2026, for practicing their faith, which has been persecuted by the Chinese communist regime since 1999.
The names of four of the practitioners have been confirmed: Ms. Wu Shiyang; Mr. Yang Shuguang, a 71-year-old retired miner; Ms. Wang Qingrong, 68; and Ms. Yin Shuling. All six practitioners’ homes were ransacked. They are currently on administrative detention at the Qitaihe City Lockup.
The practitioners were reported when they distributed information about Falun Gong. The police monitored them for some time before they arrested them. The Xinxing Police Station created a “Falun Gong Task Force” to handle the case.
09.02.2026 – Reported in January 2026: 41 Falun Gong practitioners sentenced for their faith
Minghui – A total of 41 cases of Falun Gong practitioners sentenced to prison for their faith were reported in January 2026.
Twenty-one (21) of the reported cases took place in 2025, and 20 happened in January 2026. Due to the Chinese Communist Party’s strict information censorship, news about the persecution isn’t always readily available, which causes delays in reporting.
The sentenced Falun Gong practitioners are from 14 provinces or centrally-controlled municipalities. Shandong reported the most cases (eight), followed by Jilin (seven), and Liaoning (six).
Guangdong, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia each had three cases. Tianjin, Yunnan, and Chongqing each reported two cases. The remaining five regions—Fujian, Guizhou, Hebei, Hubei, and Sichuan—each had one case.
04.02.2026 – Falun Gong, a mother and a son—two cells, one crime: faith
Bitter Winter – A winter verdict came long after the snow had settled. Relatives of Lu Suping and her son Jiang Nan learned at the end of January that both had received lengthy prison sentences for the same reason they were targeted over a decade ago: they practice Falun Gong. The official notice was brief, but the human story behind it is far more complex.
The Linghai City Court in Liaoning province handed down identical six-year sentences on December 26, 2026.
The ruling also included a fine of 15,000 yuan for each, with their sentences running until June 1, 2031. This adds a final layer of cruelty to a process already marked by secrecy and intimidation.
