Talking Points

The Gospel arrived in China in the 19th Century, about the same time as the forces of Western colonialism. The two were therefore inextricably linked in the Chinese mind. Christianity was subsequently seen as Yang Jiao, a foreign religion that had invaded their country.

The relentless connection between Christianity and the West exploded into open violent persecution in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.

A nationwide anti-Christian movement began in 1922.

The next wave of persecution came when the Communists took power in 1949.

Violence crested in the so-called Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), which banned all religious activities in the name of absolute atheism.

The 1990s brought another wave of persecution. This time, the Church was forced to shed what the government considered to be backward superstitions, including miracles and healings. Those that refused were labeled “evil cults.”

Today, Christians in China are arrested and their property is confiscated without warrants, they are detained without charges, tortured and killed without accountability and imprisoned without evidence or due process of law.

Most of these abuses are cloaked in secrecy for fear of offending Western trading partners and jeopardizing China’s fragile economy.

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As the “Countdown Clock” on Tian’anmen Square ticked backwards toward the July 1 takeover of Hong Kong, Bob Fu and his pregnant wife, Heidi, knew their time was running out, too... Learn More >