The Chinese Constitution officially recognizes religious freedom, but President Xi Jinping’s government has led a crackdown on religious groups it views as a threat to the Communist Party. China’s plan to influence Christianity includes rewriting the New Testament based on Buddhist and Confucian teachings.
Since the December arrests of leaders and members of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, authorities continue to harass and detain worshippers. In central Henan province, security officials forcibly demolished crosses on more than 4,500 church buildings over the past year, according to China Aid. “Nowadays, many house churches conduct irregular services for the sake of avoiding the surveillance of local officials,” one Chinese Christian said.
In a stern speech during a recent visit to Hong Kong, U.S. Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback called on China to...