The leader of an unregistered Protestant church in China has been formally arrested on charges of ‘unlawfully possessing items that advocate terrorism or extremism,’ in possibly the first such case involving a church leader in the country. Mr Zhao Weikai is a leader of Xuncheng Reformed Church in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, in north China. His …
Church leaders facing terrorism and national security charges READ MORE
British MPs have increased calls on the UK government to pressure the Chinese government to end human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. On 15 July the House of Commons will hold a debate on calling for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics hosted by China, citing human rights concerns about …
More MPs call for UK government to take action on human rights crisis in Xinjiang READ MORE
Under China’s current religious regulations, only government-approved faith leaders can carry out government-approved religious activities in government-approved sites. As a result, there are many situations in which a religious leader can find themselves on the wrong side of the law in China, even facing charges that have no apparent connection to religion but can carry lengthy sentences. Alarmingly, fraud charges seem to have become one of the most damaging tools that the authorities use against pastors, for persecution as well as defamation.
Welcome to China Voices, a quarterly update on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in China produced by CSW. This update is based on research and opinion from reliable sources* with first-hand information (**indicating Chinese links). As media coverage of China issues intensifies, we want to ensure that the voices and views of the people …
Chinese authorities reportedly arrested religious believers and placed activists under house arrest in preparation for celebrations of the 100-year anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 1 July. Activists, dissidents and former prisoners of conscience across the country were placed under house arrest or had their movement restricted in the run up to the …
