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For decades, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in China has fervently worked to control and restrict Christianity within its borders, with the ultimate aim of abolishing it altogether. Believers have bravely persisted in the face of this vicious persecution. Today, the danger and threat they face is as dire as ever – and a new report from International Christian Concern warns, “There is no longer a safe place to be a Christian in China.”
The regime officially banned 281 million people who belong either to the CCP or its affiliated youth organizations from engaging in a broad range of spiritual activities. Because of its supreme motive of staying in power and securing its rule against all threats (whether they are real or perceived), the CCP has maintained a tight grip on society by using Maoist rhetoric and ideology to keep citizens in line. Regulations govern churches that meet online, venues for religious activity, and even the selection of religious leaders.
Open Doors, a human rights organization that monitors Christian persecution on a global scale, ranks China 15 in its 2025 World Watch List:
“In recent years, the government has aggressively tried to ensure all religious expression is brought into line with official Chinese Communist philosophy. Any church or church leader stepping beyond that can come under heavy restrictions. Unregistered churches, even those once tolerated, are considered illegal and increasingly put under pressure, as authorities seek to enforce regulations and tighten policies. State-approved churches come under strong ideological pressure, and smaller congregations are often forced to merge to make a larger church that is easier for the state to control.
Children under 18 are forbidden from attending church. Officially registered churches are carefully regulated to make sure nothing they promote falls outside CCP guidelines.”
According to its Constitution, China is an atheist country. Christians are the largest religious demographic but are not under complete state control. Therefore, they are seen as a threat to the Communist Party which states that those who maintain their religious beliefs after a dose of “strengthened thought education” will be “encouraged to leave the Party”. As a result, those who convert to Christianity usually keep their conversion a secret, as they could otherwise be threatened or detained by authorities.
According to Open Doors:
“President Xi Jinping has consolidated his power in a manner not seen since Mao Zedong. Under Xi, the CCP has become almost militant in its efforts to maintain control. Government authorities have studied what led to the downfall of communism elsewhere. One factor is the control of social groups such as Christians, who are seen as alien and connected with foreign, mainly Western, powers. The Party puts pressure on its officials to implement anti-Christian policies and offers incentives.”
Several universities have opened faculties to teach Xi Jinping’s ideas which are then tested through an app. Much effort is also being made to teach these ideas to those as young as kindergarten age. Alternative views are not permitted; disloyal CCP members are purged or sidelined, Open Doors notes.
Meanwhile, the CCP has started to take direct control of universities by merging presidential offices with the Party Committee, thus forming a unified leadership for higher education. Books promoting atheism, such as “The Principles of Scientific Atheism” are distributed as textbooks in colleges and among Communist Party cadres.
Open Doors states that China is not fulfilling its international obligations by regularly violating or failing to protect Christians, who are often monitored by the state, their faith activities are hindered and disrupted. Churches are hindered from obtaining legal status and those officially registered are subject to heavy state interference. Christian leaders are imprisoned on charges of national security. Their children are harassed and discriminated against because of their parents’ faith. The children are also hindered from attending religious services and receiving religious education. In 2024, there were raids on and closures of churches, arrests of leaders and confiscation of Christian materials in the country.
There are many means of discriminating against religious minorities in China: denying permits, conducting financial investigations aimed at uncovering foreign links, and shutting down churches due to alleged building or fire violations.
The CCP has a policy of “Sinicizing” churches, a term referencing the CCP’s action to bring them under the CCP’s control by requiring them to align their doctrines, customs and morality with Chinese culture. The state-sanctioned church associations are the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM – Protestant) and the Patriotic Catholic Association (CPA). Churches not in these associations are considered illegal and are called house or underground churches, though they can have hundreds of members. The government incentivizes citizens to report illegal religious activities, and church leaders face increasing pressure to join state-approved churches. TSPM pastors are required to teach “Core Socialist Values” and “Patriotism”. If they refused to do so, they would lose their job or leave the TSPM system.
Regulations for religious institutions were published in 2021 and in 2023. Article 39 of the 2023 regulations demands that “sermons should reflect the core socialist values”. A regulation on religious clergy has also been introduced. It stipulates that clergy should love the motherland, support CCP leadership, and support the Sinicization of churches.
As part of the “patriotic education,” introduced from January 1, 2024, clergy are not just attending courses, but they are also brought on so-called “red tours,” visiting important sites of CCP history.
New restrictions on the internet, social media, NGOs, registration duties and the 2018 regulations on religion are increasingly applied with a large degree of strictness. All these regulations seriously limit freedom of belief.
Christian leaders are particularly targeted for government surveillance. Pastors of unregistered churches face accusations of economic crimes, financial fraud or the catch-all crime of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”. Catholic priests and high-profile house church leaders have been abducted. In these instances, they are often physically abused, including being beaten by police officers. For those under prolonged detention, they are unable to provide financially for their families. Due to such pressure, some church leaders choose to emigrate.
In 2024, there were a plethora of cases against Christians, among other reasons, because of “illegal business operations” or “fraud”. This is becoming a new standard accusation. Hundreds of Christians were subjected to varying degrees of detention and house arrest in the past year, including “Residential surveillance in a designated location”.
On January 12, 2024, for instance, a court in the city of Dalian sentenced a prominent online Protestant pastor, Kan Xiaoyong, and five church members to 14 years in jail for “using superstition to undermine the law.” On January 27, 2024, authorities raided a gathering of non-registered Christians in Xiaotun Heilongjiang Province, where more than 200 people were detained. In April 2024, a court in Hohhot Nei Monggol Province sentenced Ban Yanhong to five years for “illegal business operations” simply because he distributed Bibles. On July 24, 2024, elder Zhang Chunlei from Guiyang Ren`ai Reformed Church in Guizhou Province was sentenced to 3.5 years for “inciting subversion of state power” and “fraud.”
Christians who depend on government subsidies (such as the elderly) are sometimes pressured by local Party officials to choose between their faith and the subsidy. Christian youths aspiring to join the public service do not stand a chance if their faith is known. Students can also be put under pressure to reveal their parents’ religion. In some areas, Christian children with convert parents have been threatened with not being allowed to graduate or not being accepted for further studies.
Meanwhile, there is a deliberate push to eliminate the use of the internet to download any Christian material. Access to online Christian content is strictly monitored by the government, if not restricted. Bible apps are banned from online stores and religious audiobooks are banned from Audible.
Monitoring, which is conducted by agents, neighborhood committees and security guards, is widespread. Church activities are also monitored by CCTV cameras which watch the pulpit, congregation and church compound. Preaching at Sunday services in state churches must even be pre-approved in some parts of the country.
High-profile Christians come under special scrutiny. However, being an active (local) church leader can be sufficient to appear on the radar of authorities and be consistently watched. The Communist Party maintains a reward system to encourage security guards to report any irregularities. This grid management system is used to monitor neighborhoods. Church leaders are often summoned for interrogation at local police stations, such as in the case of the remnants of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu. There is a growing level of self-censorship as a result of monitoring with cameras and spies.
An Open Doors expert notes: “Whereas in the past there were some channels for voicing dissatisfaction with religious policies, today no dissenting voices are allowed.”
Religion in general is seen as a major threat by the CCP. Other religious communities are also under intense pressure. Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist and Jewish houses of worship have been closed. Tibetan Buddhists face strong pressure from the government, especially under the new Ethnic Unity Law. Confucianism is the only philosophy praised by the Chinese government as being truly Chinese since it can incorporate Communism.
Muslims, Buddhists and adherents of Falun Gong report severe societal discrimination in employment, housing and business. Employment discrimination is common in public sector jobs (e.g., all religious believers are excluded from government positions that require Party membership).
China is a case study of how communist forces try to eradicate faith, particularly the Christian faith. China’s Communist Party is a vicious persecutor of Christians and others who believe in God. If globalist, tyrannical forces have their way, it is very clear what sort of future they will impose on Christians in the West.
