China Aid
Recent News About China Aid
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Elder Zhang Chunlei faces sentencing amid health concerns
The case against Elder Zhang Chunlei of Guiyang Ren’ai Reformed Church, charged with "inciting subversion of state power and fraud," was scheduled for sentencing on July 24, 2024, at the Guiyang Intermediate People’s Court. The trial took place in closed sessions on January 27, 2022, and November 29, 2022. After one year and eight months since the trial began, a verdict is set to be announced.
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Pre-trial conference set for Hefei pastors facing fraud charges
A pre-trial conference for Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu of Ganquan Church in Hefei, Anhui province, charged with suspicion of fraud, is scheduled for July 31, 2024. The two church leaders were arrested on November 30, 2023, and have been detained for nearly eight months. On the day of their arrest, public security officers conducted home searches on 16 Christians from the church, including Zhou and Ding, taking them into custody on fraud charges. Fourteen individuals were subsequently released or granted bail pending trial, while Zhou and Ding remained in...
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Police summon preacher Zhang Jiale of Xuan’en Church for alleged illegal assembly
(Hohhot, Inner Mongolia – July 24, 2024) It has been reported that on July 19, 2024, at noon, preacher Zhang Jiale from Xuan’en Church in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, and his wife Ran Yilian were taken away by local police for a 12-hour summons, returning home only in the evening.
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Christian fined for sharing pastor's sermon on WeChat
On July 18, 2024, Sister Gu Ti, a Christian from Guang’an City, Sichuan Province, was administratively punished by the Guansheng Police Station of Guang’an District Branch of Guang’an Public Security Bureau for forwarding Pastor Wang Yi’s sermon video in a WeChat group and was fined 200 yuan.
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Hohhot church’s Bible study disrupted by joint law enforcement operation
On the morning of July 17, 2024, several Christians from Xuan’en Church, a house church in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, were forcibly interrupted during their Bible study by a joint law enforcement operation. The operation involved the United Front Work Department, National Security Brigade, Religious Affairs Bureau, local police station, and community office. Multiple personnel entered the gathering venue, recorded the names and phone numbers of those present, and ordered them to stop the gathering. The police and officials accused them of illegal assembly and demanded they...
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Shenzhen electronic Bible player manufacturer Lai Jinqiang released early
(Shenzhen, Guangdong Province – July 19, 2024) According to the “China at 5 PM” prayer group in mainland China, Shenzhen Christian Lai Jinqiang, who was sentenced to five and a half years under the charge of “illegal business operations” for producing “electronic Bible players,” was released early on June 21, 2024.
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Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church members barred from traveling abroad
According to the Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church, church members Wang Song and Shu Qiong, a married couple, were recently prevented from leaving the country at the Yunnan border despite having valid passports and visas.
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Police raid youth group at Beijing Zion Church
(Beijing – July 15, 2024) On July 8, 2024, Pastor Jin Mingri and the pastoral team of the Beijing Zion Church issued a prayer letter to inform that on Sunday a group of young people at the church were set upon by the local police while gathering in Haidian District, Beijing, and many of them were taken away by the Ganjiakou police. Zhou Sirui has not returned nor been heard from for more than 24 hours.
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Chinese pastor blocked from reuniting with family after border control expires
(Beijing – July 11, 2024) According to reports, on July 5, 2024, Pastor Jin Mingri, the senior pastor of Beijing Zion Church who has been under border control for five years, was again intercepted at customs when leaving Macau. Pastor Jin Mingri was informed that his border control should have ended on March 22 this year. His wife and children live in the United States. After his five-year border control period expired, he hoped to go abroad to reunite with his family. However, he was intercepted at the customs again. The customs police asked him to contact Officer Zhang in...
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Wives seek justice for detained pastors amid prolonged legal proceedings
On the afternoon of July 3, 2024, Li Shanshan, the wife of Pastor Li Jie, and Chen Ying, the wife of Han Xiaodong from Linfen Covenant House Church, visited the Yaodu District Court in Linfen City. They sought a meeting with Judge Jia Jing to inquire about their husbands' case progress. However, court staff informed them that the judge was ill and unavailable.
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Bail application rejected for elder suffering from liver cirrhosis
Recently, a defense lawyer entrusted by Elder Zhang Chunlei’s family applied for bail pending trial for him, who suffers from liver cirrhosis in the detention center. The application was rejected by the Guiyang Intermediate People’s Court. The detention center has also not arranged a physical examination for him recently. Regarding this, Zhang Chunlei’s family is very worried.
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Churches participate in National Day celebration promoting sinicization
Three churches in Jilin, China, registered with the government, participated in an early National Day performance organized by religious circles in the county. The performers sang patriotic "red" songs. More than 100 churches in the county watched the performance.
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Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu face fraud charges amid legal dispute
(Hefei, Anhui Province – July 1, 2024) The case against Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu of Hefei Ganquan Church, charged with suspicion of "fraud," has recently been filed in court. The defense lawyers provided a detailed legal analysis, arguing that Ding Zhongfu and Zhou Songlin did not engage in any deceptive behavior as defined by the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China. They contend that there was no intention to illegally possess believers' property and that no misunderstanding arose among the believers due to any actions by Ding and Zhou. The...
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Crackdowns on house churches across China result in multiple detentions
(Beijing – June 28, 2024) According to the “China at 5 PM” Kingdom Prayer Meeting, house churches across China have recently faced crackdowns. The latest news is that eight male believers from a house church in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, were administratively detained for “continuing activities in the name of a banned organization.” Four were detained for three days, three for five days, and one for ten days.
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Christian sentenced in China for organizing illegal gatherings
Chen Wensheng, a Christian from Hengyang, Hunan, has been sentenced to 1 year and 7 months in prison for organizing and funding illegal gatherings. The verdict was announced on June 20, 2024.
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Rural preacher appeals conviction citing flaws in judgment and procedural violations
Chang Hao, a rural preacher from Zhenxiong, Yunnan, has filed an appeal against the first-instance judgment of the Zhenxiong Court in his case of "provocations and causing trouble." He contends that the judgment is flawed due to unclear facts, insufficient evidence, incorrect application of law, and significant procedural violations. On May 20, 2024, he appealed to the Intermediate People’s Court of Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province.
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Pastor Sun Hongguang detained during service at Holy Covenant True Word Church
On June 16, 2024, Pastor Sun Hongguang of the Holy Covenant True Word Church in Yanji City, Jilin Province, was taken away during Sunday worship and later administratively detained for five days on the grounds of illegal gathering. The last time Pastor Sun Hongguang faced a similar incident was on February 12, 2023. During that instance, he went to Hefei to serve a local house church and was taken away by local police during Sunday worship. Although released later that day, his computer was confiscated and he was instructed not to leave Hefei temporarily.
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Pastor John Cao alleges surveillance by Chinese authorities
ChinaAid has reposted and translated the following update written by Pastor John Cao with permission from churchlist.xyz.
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Pastor Du Mingliang sentenced to five years for illegal border crossing
On June 16, 2024, the “China at 5 PM” kingdom prayer meeting specifically prayed for 76-year-old Pastor Du Mingliang of a house church in Xinzhou, Shanxi Province. It was recently learned that Pastor Du Mingliang was criminally detained on March 15, 2021, charged with organizing others to illegally cross the national border, and sentenced to five years.
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Shaanxi authorities spread rumors about Xi'an Fengsheng Church's financial practices
On June 11, 2024, Xi’an Fengsheng Church issued a statement to clarify and refute a rumor that has been circulating recently. The statement said that a rumor has been circulating in the church: the police found a large amount of cash at the pastors’ home of Xi’an Fengsheng Church, and the pastors have been involved in financial corruption; otherwise, they would not have been arrested.