July 13, 2007

Christians throughout China fear tough restrictions on their freedom to worship in the coming year following the launch of a government crackdown ahead of August 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Christians across China are reporting a shortage of Bibles, even in cities where Bibles previously were readily available. There are reports of ongoing house church raids and arrests, and an unprecedented number of foreign Christians have been expelled from China in recent months.

The crackdown comes in the wake of several important developments in recent years. These include the publication of the book Jesus in Beijing,” which alerted government authorities to the increasing influence of Christianity in academic and professional circles; the release of the DVD series “The Cross,” which stressed the growth and commitment of the house church movement in China; and the outcome of a religious survey that in February estimated the total number of religious adherents in China at more than 300 million, three times higher than the official figure of 100 million.

In addition, research presented at a government meeting in January revealed that the number of Christians in China may have reached 130 million, including 20 million Catholics – much higher than previous government estimates, according to a report from the China Aid Association (CAA).

Chinese officials have also reacted negatively to media reports that several large Christian organizations – many of them foreign organizations – are planning outreaches during the Beijing Olympics. For example, The Associated Press on March 22 reported the plans of several mission organizations to “send thousands of volunteer evangelists” to the games.

Mass Expulsions

In February, even before plans for Olympic outreach were leaked in the Western media, Chinese officials met to address the growing influence of Christianity. An “anti-infiltration” campaign code-named “Typhoon No. 5” was launched that month with the goal of drastically reducing contact between foreign Christians and Chinese believers.

For years local authorities had turned a blind eye to foreign Christians working in universities, hospitals, orphanages and business ventures throughout China. Now, however, it seems the government is prepared to revoke visas for any foreign Christian suspected of sharing their faith with Chinese citizens.

A CAA report released on Tuesday (July 10) claimed at least 100 foreign Christians had been expelled or deported from China between April and June. Most were based in Xinjiang, Beijing, Tibet or Shandong provinces, although expulsions were also reported in other provinces such as Xian.

Crackdown in the Northwest

Foreign Christians in the northwest province of Xinjiang have been particularly hard-hit – although it seems the Xinjiang crackdown is part of a separate joint project between the Chinese and Kazakh governments, aiming to restrict the activities of alleged Uygur separatists living on both sides of the border.