Amid the convening of the “Two Sessions” of the Chinese Communist Party, regions across China have escalated their stability control levels and tightened their control over Christian churches. In Anhui, Guangxi, and other places, more than a dozen Christians have been either administratively detained or criminally detained.
According to Radio Free Asia, on March 5th, the day the National People’s Congress of the CCP convened in Beijing, news came out from Xin Yi Village Church in Tianji Street, Panji District, Huainan City, Anhui Province that Pastor Zhao Hongliang and 8 other Christians have been arrested one after another since February. Among them, 4 men, including Pastor Zhao Hongliang, have been criminally detained, while 5 believers have been released on bail pending trial. The local government forcibly took control of the church and dispatched officials from the streets and religious affairs departments to manage it. Other believers who have not been arrested continue to be harassed by the police.
In addition, on the evening of March 1st, a house church in Baise City, Guangxi, was also raided by the police, and 9 Christians, including 3 children, were taken away, with 3 individuals still not being released.
On March 6th, Pastor Chen, who is aware of the situation, told the media that in regions with active Christian communities such as Anhui, Henan, and Zhejiang, authorities have strengthened their control over churches, especially targeting those believers who had previously resisted the official church. Despite the Xin Yi Village Church being recognized as an official “Three-Self” church, it has still been rectified.
A pastor in Jiangmen, Guangdong, stated that apart from Henan and Anhui, churches in Shenzhen are also being threatened and intimidated, especially believers who bring their children to gatherings, being told they should not allow minors to attend, which is deemed an illegal assembly.
A member of a house church in Shangri-La, Yunnan, also mentioned that while the authorities have not prevented their gatherings recently, they are now required to limit the number of attendees to no more than 8 people each time and have surveillance cameras installed at their doorstep to monitor the gathering.
The Communist regime has always maintained a hostile and preventive attitude towards religion since its establishment, adopting control and suppression measures. The reports indicate that during the “Two Sessions,” the series of crackdowns in Anhui, Guangxi, and other regions once again reflects the CCP government’s tough stance on religious freedom.