China detains six members of underground Chengdu church
The detainees include the church’s current leader, Li Yingqiang, whose home was raided by police. It is unclear on what charges the members were detained, and the church could not be reached for comment.
Under President Xi Jinping, China has tightened control over all religions. Unregistered “house churches” face increased restrictions, including limits on fundraising, online preaching, and in-person gatherings. Tens of millions of Christians attend such unofficial churches, while around 44 million are registered with state-approved congregations, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
This incident follows previous large-scale crackdowns. In December, over 100 Christians were detained near Wenzhou, and nearly 30 pastors and staff of Zion Church were arrested in October in the biggest operation since 2018. Early Rain itself was raided in 2018, resulting in the nine-year prison sentence of founder Wang Yi.
Human Rights Watch called for the immediate release of the detained church members, urging the government to allow them to freely practice their religion.
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