Tag: Xi Jinping

China passes new religious regulations ‘to prevent extremism’

September 8, 2017 China Children, China, Communism, Islamic extremism, Sinicisation, Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Xi Jinping

China has passed a new set of rules regulating religious affairs, a year after the proposed amendments were released to the public for the first time. The new rules, announced yesterday, show no significant alterations to last year’s proposals, though there is noticeably less detail given regarding those who will be . . . Read More

Are Chinese Christians persecuted?

July 18, 2017 China China, Communism, Xi Jinping

Senior lady looking at Dongguang Church in Shenyang, northeastern China. (Photo: Open Doors International)

According to Richard Mouw, Christians in China are not facing increased persecution as much as a growing pressure to conform to Beijing’s policies. In an article for the Religion News Service, he writes that, after years of travelling to and within China, he has observed that “friendliness toward religion has . . . Read More

Chinese Communist Party using CCTV to ‘maintain social order’ at churches

March 23, 2017 China China, Communism, Crosses, Peter Shao Zhumin, Xi Jinping, Zhejiang

Cross on Dongguang Church in Shenyang, north-eastern China

The Chinese government is forcing churches in Zhejiang province to install CCTV reports UCA News. The Communist Party in the heavily Christian province on China’s east coast wants Catholic and Protestant churches to install CCTV cameras inside and outside their buildings, in a bid to control the number of Christians . . . Read More

Freedom House’s China report ‘misses big picture’

March 3, 2017 China China, Crosses, Xi Jinping, Zhejiang

A new report on abuses of religious freedom in China “misses the big picture” when it comes to Christians, according to China-watcher Ian Johnson. Johnson says Freedom House’s new report, The Battle for China’s Spirit, focuses too much on the cross removals in Zhejiang Province and misses “the most important . . . Read More

‘Expendable’ Christians ‘victims of organ harvesting’ in China

December 2, 2016 China Organ harvesting, Xi Jinping

Ethan Gutmann speaking at a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China in Washington, DC, in September 2015. Christians meeting in “house churches” in China are amongst thousands of Chinese people “considered expendable” by the Chinese government and being used in the “harvesting” of organs, according to China watcher Ethan . . . Read More

China tightens grip on religion

September 23, 2016 China Education, Sinicisation, Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Xi Jinping, Zhejiang

The Chinese government has released a set of proposed amendments to its rules regulating religious affairs, as President Xi Jinping attempts to exert even greater control over how religion is practised. The new set of amendments, released to the public on 7 Sep. for a one-month consultation period, includes guidelines . . . Read More

Hong Kong Christians oppose Beijing’s policy

April 26, 2016 China Beijing, China, Hong Kong, Xi Jinping

Christians in Hong Kong protested outside Beijing’s liaison office there Sunday, urging the Chinese authorities to respect religious freedoms following President Xi Jinping’s recent insistence that religious groups ‘devote themselves’ to his reforms, . Cardinal Joseph Zen Zekiun, the former Bishop of Hong Kong, joined about 50 protestors at the . . . Read More

‘Career ending’ arrest for Chinese lawyers

January 21, 2016 China China, Xi Jinping

China has now formally arrested and charged some of the rights protestors detained during the last six months. The serious charges of subverting state power caught many observers off guard; the maximum penalty is life in prison. For the lawyers, this would “end their careers”, reports . Among those detained . . . Read More

Analysis: What to make of China’s demolition of crosses?

September 22, 2015 China Crosses, Sanjiang, Xi Jinping, Zhejiang

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US once again throws into the spotlight China’s human rights record, including that on freedom of religion. Despite China’s past, it is now generally acknowledged that Christianity is growing at a great rate. In 2007, it was estimated that the population of Christians . . . Read More

Cross removal ‘escalates’ in eastern China

August 13, 2015 China China, Churches, Crosses, Xi Jinping, Zhejiang

Christian groups in China have told the BBC they are increasingly worried that the authorities are targeting them because of their religion, as the past year has seen an “escalated campaign” to remove outdoor crosses from church buildings. The rise in demolitions in the eastern province of Zhejiang, where there . . . Read More

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