(Guangzhou — April 21, 2026) According to informed sources, religious crackdowns in Guangzhou, a major industrial hub in southern China, have sharply escalated this month. On April 12, local law enforcement authorities conducted a raid on Eternal Foundation Church (永基教会), resulting in the deportation of an American Christian couple who had lived in China for 30 years.
This raid not only signals a further shrinking of authorities’ tolerance for unregistered religious activities, but also shows that even foreign nationals who have lived for decades and planted their roots in China are no longer able to avoid increasingly strict political red lines. On the same day as the raid on Eternal Foundation Church, other arrest operations were conducted at different locations in Guangzhou. A Christian, Zheng Zhoulin (正周林), was arrested on suspicion of distributing “illegal paper materials” related to Christian apologetics and creation science. Although Mr. Zheng is not a member of Eternal Foundation Church and the materials were said to contain no politically sensitive content, authorities still opened a case against him on charges of “illegal business operations.” Prosecutors allege that Mr. Zheng disseminated these materials through the mail.
However, individuals close to Mr. Zheng strongly dispute authorities’ claim: “This case has nothing to do with commercial activity. There was no profit motive, nor any actual financial gain. There is simply no ‘business operation’ involved.”
Dr. Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid Association, commented: “This is clearly a method of criminalizing religious expression. In China, the charge of ‘illegal business operations’ is often used as a ‘catch-all offense’ to target the dissemination of ideas deemed unauthorized by the government, even when there is no profit motive.”
Mr. Zheng is currently under criminal detention. Under China’s Criminal Procedure Law, 37 days is a critical legal window: within this period, police must decide whether to seek formal arrest approval from the procuratorate.
“If he is not released within 37 days, it usually indicates that police intend to gather further evidence and proceed with prosecution,” an informed source noted.
In addition, on April 12, another Christian woman, Li Yuesui (李岳遂), was also arrested in Guangzhou. She is reportedly accused of receiving orders for the distribution of these materials. At present, both Zheng and Li are being held in Guangzhou.
In recent years, under the current leadership, China has continued to advance the “Sinicization” of religion, aiming to eliminate the influence of what it calls “foreign religious forces.” The actions targeting the Eternal Foundation Church and American Christians in China are seen as a further signal of shrinking space for grassroots religious activity.
The Guangzhou Public Security Bureau has not issued any public comment on the cases.
As the 37-day deadline approaches, ChinaAid Association and related human rights organizations are closely monitoring developments. This is not only a legal struggle involving two Christians, but also a key indicator of whether religious freedom in China will continue to deteriorate.
Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid
