Clampdown on Christians in China: Christianity With ‘Chinese Characteristics’?

Udumbara Udumbara
Oct 29, 2025 - 11:00 Updated: Oct 29, 2025 - 03:39
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Clampdown on Christians in China: Christianity With ‘Chinese Characteristics’?

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Commentary
The history of Christianity in many countries in Africa and Asia is complicated. Some in these nations associate it with the legacy of colonialism, and in some cases, dislike or hostility turns into violence, even in democracies such as India.

And then there is China, which is in a league of its own because of its state-controlled apparatus.

While there has been a Christian presence in China since the early 8th century, the faith really began to take root with the arrival of the Jesuits in 16th century and later the creation of Protestant missions in the 19th century. This latter move led to the establishment of Chinese churches. The country currently has as many as 40 million Christians, although exact figures are hard to come by.
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While that is a small percentage of the total population, the Christian community has attracted the attention of the country’s leadership, and not in a good way. It is clear that the government of Xi Jinping is not happy with the adherents of Christ. Under Xi’s program of “sinicization,” where everything needs to adapt to his view of the world, churches must “establish a correct view of the country,” whatever that means.

It gets worse. Pastors have been arrested for the “illegal use of online networks” and, following an edict passed in September, the clergy have been prevented from preaching online unless the sermons they issue “love the motherland, uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and uphold the socialist system.” Gee, I wonder what part of the New Testament that comes from?

This is of course consistent with everything Xi does and says. He is an unchallenged autocrat whose “thought” is mandatory reading for all Chinese. That the Chinese Christian community is being subjected to the same requirements should surprise no one.

What is important to bear in mind here is that communist China’s way of doing things is not our way of doing things in the West. Freedom of thought, worship, association, information consumption, protest, opposition, and just about any other form of independence is simply forbidden.

For those enamoured with everything China, seeing the People’s Republic as an alternative to the United States (either from an economic standpoint or bizarrely viewing China as the antithesis of a “colonial power”), this should serve as a reminder that it is not what it proclaims to be. Any opposition to Xi and the Chinese Communist Party is eliminated, pure and simple.

There has been a lot of reporting lately about the persecution of Christians in parts of Africa. Atrocities against those who simply want the freedom to practice their faith should be confronted.

The suffering of the faithful in China shouldn’t be forgotten, either. The Beijing regime is again showing its true colours, and the evidence is there for those who take the time to gather it. Thankfully, we have publications (like The Epoch Times) that bring this information to the general public.

Ignorance should not be an excuse for inaction. The CCP’s repression of any minority—Christians, Uyghurs, Tibetans, Falun Gong, etc.—needs to be highlighted. It is simply the right—and Christian—thing to do.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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