Crackdown on Christians in China

The Chinese authorities have increased restrictions on Christianity by effectively outlawing the presence of foreign mission workers, but not much will change about the way the church operates in the country, according to an Open Doors Persecution Analyst.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party has taken stronger steps to ensure foreign missionaries cannot work in the country, with revised “Implementation Rules for the Administration of Religious Activities of Foreigners” dictating that they must receive state approval to perform basic Christian activities such as preaching, leading services, and the use of unauthorised Bibles in a public setting.

Open Doors revealed that missionaries from abroad are also banned from recruiting Chinese citizens, running Bible schools or even using the internet for religious means. The latest crackdown on religious liberty follows a trend which has seen Christianity increasingly marginalised.