China

Where Persecution Comes From

The majority of Christian persecution in China is experienced by the small group of Christians from Muslim or Tibetan Buddhist backgrounds. Muslim and Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders are still quite influential in the autonomous provinces of Xinjian and Tibet. In these communities, conversion is seen as much more than changing one’s religion –rather,  it is a complete betrayal of the community and one’s family. Parents and the community at large heavily persecute known Christians. Another persecution driver is the Communist government, which limits freedoms. Christians, in particular, are hedged in by authorities, as they are the largest social force in China not controlled by the state.

How Christians are Suffering

While the distinction between government-registered and unregistered churches used to be a major factor in whether or not they were persecuted, this is no longer the case. All Christians are slandered, which seems to support the widely held belief that the Communist Party is banking on a unified Chinese cultural identity to maintain its power. When converts from Islam or Tibetan Buddhism are discovered by their families or communities, they are usually threatened, violently harmed and reported to local authorities. Spouses are sometimes forced to divorce their Christian partners, and some children are taken from their Christian parents. Public baptisms are impossible, and events such as weddings and burials involving known Christians are denied by imams and lamas.

Examples

In May 2017, two Chinese missionaries were abducted by radical Islamic militants in Quetta, Pakistan, and were later killed. With a growing Christian church in China and the pledge to send 20,000 missionaries by 2030, more and more Chinese missionaries will be sent to some of the most difficult and unlikely places in the world.

In August 2017, several buildings belonging to a Catholic church in the Shanxi province were destroyed, despite efforts by church members to protect them. Homes of believers were raided and belongings confiscated in Guangdong, Xinjiang and Anhui. Churches have been raided as well, and landlords renting premises to churches have been pressured to terminate such contracts.