(Xi’an, Shaanxi Province – March 19, 2024) Recently, the son of Chang Yuchun and Li Chenhui, Mr. Chang Shengyi, issued a prayer request letter, revealing the bullying his parents have faced by prison bullies and their worrying health conditions. He requested Christians to pray for his parents and also for his three younger siblings.
Chang Yuchun and Li Chenhui were baptized many years ago. They established the GuangyiAisheng Printing Company LLC in 2015. Chang Yuchun serves as the legal representative, while Li Chenhui serves as the company supervisor. Since its establishment, the company has been printing and selling a large number of Christian books, supplying them to households in mainland China for purchase and use. These Christian books are published and sold in other countries without any problem but are prohibited from publication and sale in China. The printing company established by Chang Yuchun and Li Chenhui took risks to print theological books related to Christianity, meeting the needs of many churches. The printing company attracted the attention of the law enforcement department in cultural markets and the national security agency of Xi’an city. On July 21, 2020, the law enforcement department in cultural markets of Xi’an city, in conjunction with the national security agency, sealed and inspected the GuangyiAisheng Printing Company, confiscating more than 210,000 copies of various Christian books on-site. Among them, 24 books, including “The Reformed Faith,” were deemed illegal publications.
On July 22, 2020, Chang Yuchun and Li Chenhui were placed under “Residential surveillance at a designated location” by Gaoling District police, on suspicion of “subvertion of state power.” On October 12 of the same year, they were criminally detained on suspicion of “illegal business operations.” On October 22, Chang Yuchun and Li Chenhui were arrested by Gaoling District People’s Procuratorate, on the same charge. On October 23, they were formally arrested, with Chang Yuchun detained at the Gaoling District Detention Center, and Li Chenhui detained at the Weiyang District Detention Center. On August 19, 2021, the Gaoling District Court sentenced Chang Yuchun and Li Chenhui to seven years in prison for “illegal business operations” and imposed fines of ￥250,000 yuan (~$34,800 U.S dollars) each. Chang Yuchun and Li Chenhui immediately appealed to the Xi’an Intermediate People’s Court through their lawyers. On November 15, 2021, the Xi’an Intermediate People’s Court ruled in the second instance: rejecting the appeal, upholding the original verdict, with the sentence lasts until September 1, 2027.
