Religious persecution and issues – Bimonthly Digest September 16-30
General
19.09.2025 – China tightens digital grip on clergy with sweeping new rules
Religion unplugged – In an escalation of its already tight grip on religious freedom, China introduced a sweeping set of regulations that strictly control how clergy of officially recognized religions can operate online.
The new rules – released by the State Administration for Religious Affairs on Sept, 15 – are a continuation of Beijing’s long-term campaign to control religious practices in an effort to reshape faith so it aligns with the Chinese Communist Party.
18.09.2025 – Holy firewalls: China’s new rules for online clergy conduct
Bitter Winter – By now, it’s no surprise that China’s religious policy is less “freedom of belief” and more “freedom to believe what we tell you, quietly, offline, and preferably in Mandarin.” But the latest regulatory dispatch from the National Religious Affairs Administration—issued with the bureaucratic solemnity of a papal bull and the subtlety of a sledgehammer—takes the digital leash on clerical personnel to a new level of precision.
The document, published on September 15, is titled “Regulations on the Online Behavior of Religious Clergy” . It is an 18-article manifesto of what religious personnel may and may not do online. It resembles a hybrid of Confucian etiquette, cybersecurity policy, and Orwellian choreography. The tone is unmistakably paternal: “You may preach, but only through officially sanctioned channels. You may educate, but only on licensed platforms. And for heaven’s sake, don’t livestream your incense rituals.”
Buddhists
15.09.2025 – UN experts warn China over interference in Dalai Lama succession, demand answers on missing Panchen Lama
Tibet.net – A group of United Nations human rights experts has raised alarm over China’s alleged interference in the succession of the 14th Dalai Lama and the decades-long enforced disappearance of Gedhun Cheokyi Nyima, the Panchen Lama recognised by the Dalai Lama in 1995.
In a formal communication dated 15 July 2025 to Beijing, five UN Experts expressed “grave concern” over Chinese laws and policies that assert state control over Tibetan Buddhist practices, particularly the reincarnation of religious leaders.
Catholics
30.09.2025 – Chinese Catholics mark 400th anniversary with calligraphy, painting
Ucanews – Catholics in a diocese of China’s northwestern Shaanxi province joined a calligraphy and painting competition to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Catholicism in the region.
The Diocese of Sanyuan celebrated the 400th anniversary of Catholicism in Shaanxi with a special calligraphy and painting exhibition at the cathedral on Sept. 26, Radio Veritas Asiareported, referring to the pro-Beijing Xinde (Faith) site.
The event, themed “Ink and Brush to Praise the Flourishing Era, Colors to Extol China,” brought together government officials, artists, and Church representatives in a spirit of cultural and spiritual unity, the report said.
22.09.2025 – Pope Leo XIV speaks publicly about China for the first time, sends an important signal
China Aid – The latest interview with Crux marks the first time the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, spoke publicly on China and offered insights into how he intends to approach this complex issue. Although he stated that in the short term he will continue the policy of his predecessors toward China, his cautious yet open attitude revealed in his words suggests the possibility of subtle shifts in the future.
The interview appears in senior correspondent Elise Allen’s new book, Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the XXI Century. The pope admitted he has not yet developed a clear strategy towards China. When asked whether he has a clear approach to engagement with China, his answer was an unequivocal “no.” Humbly adding that he does not consider himself wiser than his predecessors, he emphasized that for now he will continue along the Vatican’s long-standing path of Ostpolitik, which he described as “choices that have been made to say in a realistic way” focused on “this is what we can do right now, moving towards the future.”
Falun Gong
29.09.2025 – Once jailed for 12 years, Shandong man sentenced to another two years for his faith
Minghui – A 62-year-old man in Taian City, Shandong Province was admitted to the Shandong Province Prison on February 19, 2025, to serve a two-year term for his faith in Falun Gong.
Mr. Zhao Weidong, a former assistant engineer at Xinhua Machinery Factory, was arrested on September 12, 2024, when he and his wife, Ms. Sun Xiuwei, were making deliveries to a local supermarket. He was held at the Taian City Detention Center.
25.09.2025 – 69-year-old retired pharmacist jailed for one year because of her faith, pension suspended since November 2021
Minghui – A 69-year-old woman in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province has had her pension suspended since November 18, 2021, when she completed a one-year prison term for her faith in Falun Gong.
Ms. Yu Shuxia, a retired pharmacist from the Pukou District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, took up Falun Gong in 1996. She soon regained her health and became calmer and kinder. Unlike her colleagues, she declined to accept gifts (bribes) from patients, and treated everyone with respect.
After the communist regime launched the persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, Ms. Yu was repeatedly targeted for holding firm to her faith. Prior to her one-year prison term, she was held at brainwashing centers multiple times and twice given forced labor.
22.09.2025 – Art teacher sentenced again after an 8-year term for his faith, tortured in prison
Minghui – A 39-year-old art teacher in Jinan City, Shandong Province, was sentenced to two years and three months for his faith in Falun Gong. He has been subjected to ongoing abuse since he was admitted to the Shandong Province Prison more than a year ago.
Mr. Xu Wenlong was arrested some time in 2023. Minghui.org recently confirmed that he was wrongly convicted by the Tianqiao District Court in June 2024 and transferred to the 11th Division of Shandong Province Prison in August 2024. No further information about his arrest, indictment, trial, or sentencing is available.
18.09.2025 – Twice jailed for a total of 9 years, 69-year-old Yunnan woman gets another 4 years for her faith
Minghui –Ms. Liang Yun, 69, from Qujing City, Yunnan Province, was recently sentenced to four years and fined 10,000 yuan because she practices Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since July 1999.
Ms. Liang was arrested by agents from the Qujing City Domestic Security Office on the night of December 10, 2024. The Qilin District Court recently convicted her (the exact date is unknown). She is appealing the conviction to the Qujing City Intermediate Court.
Others
24.09.25 – Repression rekindled: Yiguandao faces renewed crackdown in China
Bitter Winter – Yiguandao, one of China’s most influential redemptive religious movements, has long been a target of state repression. The crackdown under Mao Zedong in the 1950s was unprecedented in scale: over 820,000 leaders and organizers were arrested, and millions of followers detained or executed. Though the movement was nearly eradicated in mainland China, it survived and flourished abroad—especially in Taiwan, where it became a prominent spiritual and cultural force.
During the Hu Jintao era (2002–2012), Yiguandao experienced a brief window of relative tolerance. Some scholars and officials speculated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) might even promote Yiguandao as a more culturally resonant alternative to Christianity and to other new religions. Its Confucian-infused teachings, vegetarian ethics, and emphasis on filial piety seemed to align with the Party’s vision of “harmonious society.”
