The watchdog group ChinaAid is calling for urgent international intervention as Chinese authorities prepare to demolish the Yayang Christian Church in Wenzhou.
Current Situation in Wenzhou
- The Siege: Hundreds of armed police have surrounded the church, arresting residents and banning recordings. Heavy machinery, including cranes and bulldozers, is currently on-site.
- The Intent: While officials remain silent, local believers fear the building will be demolished or its cross removed under the CCP’s “Sinicization of religion” policy.
- Escalation: This follows a massive crackdown weeks ago involving 1,000 officers targeting 12 congregations in the region. Two church leaders were recently detained on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
Context of Persecution
ChinaAid founder Bob Fu warns that religious persecution has reached levels not seen since the Cultural Revolution. Authorities are increasingly using “fraud” charges regarding church tithes to financially cripple house churches. Wenzhou, once called “China’s Jerusalem,” has been a focal point of this campaign since 2014.
Fu urged the global community to speak out, stating, “If the world remains silent… it will only embolden the CCP to destroy more churches and trample fundamental human dignity.”
News article from China Aid website:
