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Massacre at Tiananmen Square anniversary - copyright ZUMA/REX
World News

Seven-fold rise in the persecution of Chinese Christians

by Hannah Tooley

Release International has said that China is seeking "complete control over the nation's churches" and that it wants to replace "Christ as the head of the church with submission to the Communist Party".

Matthew Compston from Release International told Premier that persecution is getting worse in the country.

He said: "It is getting very bad, there's one province... where our partners verified that by the end of last year, by the end of 2015, more than 20 churches had been forcibly demolished, 1,300 crosses had been removed from church buildings."

In Zheijang, the most Christian part of China, more than 60 Christians were administratively or criminally detained, and at least 28 pastors and Christians were arrested or charged with a crime.

China has increased its crackdown on Christians and churches in recent years with a strict policy of the removal of crosses from the outside of church buildings.

The authorities say crosses must be removed for health and safety reasons.

China: 

Persecution rates are now 709.94 per cent worse than in 2008

Other faiths persecuted: Tibetan Buddhism and Islam are experiencing more intense government persecution

Christian human rights lawyers who have been protecting believers have also been arrested in the campaign against Christianity.

Leading Christian lawyer Zhang Kai is one of them, he has since been seen publiclly confessing to crimes against the state on television.

It is unsure whether this confession is genuine of cocerced.

Wikimedia Commons

Matthew Compston from Release International told Premier that it is asking churches all over the country to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians this weekend by holding outdoor services.

He said: "What we're doing is encouraging churches in the UK and Ireland to hold their church service outdoors to stand in solidarity with the persecuted churches around the world, particularly churches who've had their buildings closed."

Mr Compston went on: "There are lots of parts of the Body of Christ around the world that are suffering at the moment, and we need to share in that suffering.

"At some point it might come to us, and then that'll be a whole new story, but our responsibility is to stand with our brothers and sisters."

Another anti-persecution group, China Aid, has documented an increase in persecution of 4.74 per cent in the past year.

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Listen to Premier's Alex Williams speak to Matt Compton here:

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