China

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Christian Li Mingshun has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for helping North Korean fleeing to South Korea, while her fellow Christian, Zhang Yonghu, received a seven-year sentence for organizing transportation for the refugees, trial observers said.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- An ex-house church pastor who currently leads a major Christian rights group has urged the world Thursday, October 1 "to see beyond the fireworks" on the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China, amid reports that Christians have been detained and churches closed ahead of the celebrations.

Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife with reporting from China BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Over 60 Christian leaders, including two South Korean pastors and an elderly well-known evangelical believer, were detained in Central China as part of a crackdown on unauthorized worship, a religious advocacy group said Wednesday, February 18.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Chinese police harassed female members from one of Beijing's largest underground Protestant churches before releasing them and most of other Christians detained Sunday, April 17, a church member told BosNewsLife.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- A Christian human rights attorney was recovering of his injuries Wednesday, June 24, after he was detained, interrogated and tortured by officials of China's Public Security Bureau (PSB), Christians said.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Christians in several parts of China were behind bars on Christmas Day after a police crackdown on worship services and Bible study, a Christian advocacy group said Thursday, December 25.

BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- A key leader of China's rapidly growing underground house church movement who disappeared last month, was free Saturday, November 8, after Chinese authorities released him and other family members, Chinese Christians confirmed. Pastor 'Bike' Zhang Mingxuan, his wife and her sister were released October 27 from detention in the city of Nanyang in China's Henan province, said China Aid Association (CAA), a Christian rights group. "It is believed that the three were being held to prevent them from attending the third anniversary of the Chinese House Church Alliance which was held in Beijing on October 20," CAA added. Pastor Bike, who leads the Alliance and also works as an evangelist, was reportedly one of some 300 delegates invited to attend the celebration. "Because of police harassment," only about 100 delegates reached the Chinese capital, Chinese sources said. Pastor Bike was first detained on October 16, after his sons, Zhang Jian and Zhang Chuang, were beaten by police and his wife was evicted from their apartment, US and other officials explained. WOMEN DETAINEDThe two woman were brought to Nanyang city, while Pastor was held in the PSB office of Shilin city of Yunnan province, allegedly with some 15 PSB officers watching and questioning him.Although the pastor and his family, including his sons, are now free to move in Nanyang city, theystill suffer of harsh police treatment, CAA claimed. Especially his two sons "are still recovering from their injuries," the group said. Yet Pastor Bike's younger son, Zhang Chuang, has been ordered by his landlord to leave his Beijing apartment, Christians said. "The landlord has been under pressure from PSB officers to formally evict Zhang Chuang to force him permanently out of Beijing," CAA noted. Zhang Jian, Pastor Bike's oldest son, was evicted from his apartment immediately following the October 16 police attack. CAA linked the crackdown to a government backed directive which requires Beijing citizens to "report those engaging in activities that endanger state security by utilizing religions." China's Communist government has denied human rights abuses, saying Christians are free to worship within the state-run churches. END

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Two members of the Laojie Christian Church in the village of Sangdong in China's Henan province have been detained, just days after authorities officially banned their church for a second time, BosNewsLife learned Tuesday, August 18.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Chinese Christians on Wednesday, July 1, were awaiting the international community to "pray and act" on behalf of jailed Christian house church leader Shi Weihan and six of his associates who have been sentenced to prison terms for allegedly printing Bibles and Christian books without government approval, their supporters said.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service BEIJING, CHINA (BosNewsLife)-- Authorities in central China have suspended the trial of a prominent evangelical church leader, while lawyers investigating the jailing of Christians in an "illegal detention center" have been tortured, trial observers and rights activists said Thursday, April 17.