Trump administration slams China’s crackdown on underground Christian churches

The Trump administration on Sunday denounced China’s restrictions on underground churches and the recent detention of dozens of leaders of the unregistered Beijing Zion Church, including prominent pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin.

The crackdown is another example of the Chinese Communist Party’s hostility toward Christian groups that reject party interference in their faith, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

“We call on the CCP to immediately release the detained church leaders and to allow all people of faith, including members of house churches, to engage in religious activities without fear of retribution,” Mr. Rubio said.

Mr. Jin founded Beijing Zion Church in 2007. It quickly grew into one of China’s largest underground churches with more than 1,000 people attending services at one of its campuses. His daughter, Grace Jin, told The New York Times that he was detained Friday at his home in Beihai, located on China’s southwest coast.

Ms. Jin, who lives in the United States, said about 30 other church officials also were taken into custody or went missing. She said her father had been targeted with regular bouts of surveillance and harassment, which led to his forced departure from Beijing.

“China’s religious persecution continues with reports of the arrest of the pastor of one of the largest underground churches in China and dozens of church leaders across the country,” former Vice President Mike Pence posted Saturday on X. “The Chinese Communist Party must release Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri and other Christian leaders immediately. This attack on Christianity will not prevail.”

Beijing Zion Church was once the largest underground “house” church in Beijing, with 1,500 members. It was banned by authorities in 2018, forcing it to spread to other locations in China, where it has been repeatedly raided and dispersed.

“Despite the government’s efforts to eradicate the church, the congregation remains steadfast, meeting in secret and changing locations to evade the CCP, which has not deterred their determination,” according to the website Persecution.Org, which tracks government crackdowns on Christian groups.

While China’s constitution promises freedom of religion, Beijing permits only tightly controlled congregations to operate in the open. Last month, China issued strict regulations on online activity by church groups, ordering clergy not to “collude” with foreign forces by participating in their “religious infiltration activities.”

“Religious clergy, when engaging in online activities, must love the motherland, support the leadership of the Communist Party of China, support the socialist system, abide by national laws and regulations, and relevant provisions of the management of religious affairs, observe social morality, and public order and good customs,” one of the new religious rules states.

Church leaders in China must also “accept government supervision and social oversight.”

“What’s happening isn’t because the government has something against the Zion Church. It’s because of what the government has against all the Christian churches in the country,” Persecution.Org said, quoting a member of the Beijing Zion Church.