(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.

Lai Jinqiang is a Christian from the Chinese house church “China Gospel Fellowship.” In 2007, he collaborated with several Christian entrepreneurs to establish “Gospel Communications Company,” which began producing electronic Bible players. The company was one of the pioneers in this industry, receiving technical support from Hong Kong entrepreneurs. The company mainly produced a Bible audio player where pre-recorded Bible audio was stored on SD memory cards, allowing users to listen to the Bible with simple operations. These players were particularly popular among elderly Christians with impaired vision.

As his business partners withdrew, Lai Jinqiang founded “Cedar Electronics” in 2009. Due to his effective management and extensive church marketing network, his company quickly stood out among competitors, becoming China’s largest Bible player company with a monthly production of 40,000 units. Lai Jinqiang used part of the profits to support churches and various gospel ministries, provided housing for church gatherings, and personally served in the church. The Bible players produced by his company made significant contributions to the spread of the Bible in Chinese churches.

In 2019, Lai Jinqiang was arrested by the police. After 16 months of detention, he was tried for “illegal business operations” at the Bao’an District Court in Shenzhen, with family members allowed to attend the trial via video. The court cancelled the public online broadcast of the trial at the last minute, opting for a closed-door hearing instead. Lai Jinqiang was eventually sentenced to 5.5 years, with his term set to end in January 2025.

In recent years, seven Christians have been sentenced for manufacturing or selling Christian books and gospel players. They are: Chen Yu from Zhejiang province; Fu Xuanjuan; her husband Deng Tianyong; Feng Qunhao; and Lai Jinqiang from Shenzhen; Liang Rurui and Zhu Guoqing from Zhongshan, Guangdong province; and Chang Yuchun and his wife Li Chenhui from Xi’an, Shaanxi province. Some of them have already been released or granted bail pending trial.