Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has taken a hardline stance against independent Christian churches. Officials knock down crosses, burn Bibles, pressure church members to renounce their faith, and encourage neighbors to snitch about any religious activities. Zion Church was shuttered in 2018 after Pastor Lin disobeyed governmental orders to install cameras in the sanctuary.
In an Oct. 12 editorial, the Wall Street Journal noted that the CCP has been especially leery of religion spreading via the internet. The party is issuing codes that warn church leaders not to “self-promote or use religious topics and content to attract attention and traffic,” wrote the editorial board. “In other words, beware if your religious message becomes too popular.” The paper urged the rest of the world—including President Trump—to speak up about the detentions.
In a statement to NPR, China’s Foreign Minister Lin Jian said he had no knowledge of the arrests. “The Chinese government manages religious affairs in accordance with the law, protects citizens’ freedom of religious belief and normal religious activities,” he said. “We firmly oppose the U.S. side’s interference in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of so-called religious issues.”
