(Zhejiang – March 13, 2026) The religious environment in Taishun County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, continues to tighten. According to information obtained by ChinaAid, two male Christians from Yayang Church in Taishun County were recently taken away by police in succession. To date, they have been missing for several days, and their families have not received any official legal documents. As many as 22 people from the Yayang Church have been arrested.
This arrest operation was conducted in two phases: on February 26, the first church member was taken away by police; on March 9, a second was subsequently arrested.
Both detainees belong to the local Taishun County Church (commonly known as the “Assembly”). According to informed sources, since the day of the arrests, family members have made multiple trips to the local public security organ and relevant investigating departments to inquire. However, investigating officers have adopted an evasive attitude regarding critical information such as the place of detention, suspected charges, and compulsory measures, neither releasing the individuals nor issuing formal detention notices. This state of “missing legal procedure” has raised outside concerns that the parties involved may face secret interrogations or torture.
The arrest of these Christians is not accidental but is an aftermath of the large-scale suppression campaign against Yayang Church that began in late 2025. On December 14, the local government mobilized over a thousand people, including special police (SWAT), armed police, and government personnel. Dozens of buses were deployed to block traffic, and authorities forcibly stormed into Yayang Church. There were over a hundred Christians keeping watch inside the hall; police utilized methods such as cutting off signals and confiscating mobile phones, and they placed black hoods on several individuals before forcibly taking them away.
The core of the conflict lies in the church’s firm refusal of the “National Flag in the Church” and the installation of surveillance cameras, which are part of the “Five Entries and Five Transformations” campaign. Previously, the Yayang Town government forcibly erected a flagpole at the church entrance, leading to the arrest of a church member in her seventies, Cai Wangling (蔡旺玲), during the protest; she remains in custody.
In early January 2026, the main building of Yayang Church was covered with blue netting, after which cranes and bulldozers were used to demolish the bell tower at that site.
By holding core church members (22 in total) in long-term detention and refusing transparency regarding the cases, the local government is attempting to completely dismantle the church’s organizational network in the Yayang area.
Statement by Dr. Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid:
“The forced disappearance of members of the Yayang Church in Taishun, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province is deeply alarming. Taking believers into custody while refusing to disclose their whereabouts, the legal basis for detention, or formal documentation constitutes a serious violation of due process and amounts to an enforced disappearance under international human rights standards.
The Chinese government has increasingly used criminal measures under the guise of ‘religious governance’ to suppress peaceful religious practice. The case of Yayang Church once again demonstrates how local authorities are abusing law enforcement powers to intimidate and silence independent Christian communities.
ChinaAid strongly urges the Chinese authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of the detained believers, guarantee their access to legal counsel and family notification, and end the ongoing persecution of house churches. We also call on the international community, democratic governments, and human rights organizations to closely monitor this case and hold the Chinese government accountable for violations of religious freedom and fundamental human rights.”
