(United States – May 19, 2025) For a long time, the Chinese government has routinely used entry and exit bans as a means to suppress dissidents; there were many victims. However, a new trend has recently emerged, where Chinese citizens with valid passports traveling to visa-free countries are now being charged with “organizing illegal border crossings.”  

Reportedly, Dong Yanmei, a co-worker of a house church in Mianyang, Sichuan, legally exited China with a valid Chinese passport leaving for Malaysia. Despite this, she was arrested by police on the charge of “organizing illegal border crossing,” sparking confusion and concern from the outside world. Previously, Chinese human rights lawyer Lu Siwei was arrested in July 2023 while trying to reunite with his wife and daughter in the United States, after attempting to cross into Thailand through Laos. This April, he was sentenced by a court in Chengdu for “illegal border crossing.”   

Chinese Christians Abroad Now Face “Border Crime” Accusations

In response to such cases, Pastor Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, was interviewed by acclaimed host Mr. Yang Senhong on the “Serving the People” program by Radio Taiwan International. 

Pastor Bob Fu pointed out that the Chinese Communist Party is expanding the scope of what would constitute violating this charge, targeting Chinese citizens overseas who participate in what it deems “illegal religious activities.” Even if their entry and exit were lawful, they are still being persecuted under this charge. Dong Yanmei’s case is a clear example, and she was accused of this charge solely for attending a Christian gathering in Malaysia. 

Pastor Fu emphasized that this is not an isolated incident but rather a new method of persecution employed by the CCP against Christians. He noted that individuals like Pastor John Cao were also sentenced under the same charge. In recent years, Pastors An Yankui and Zhang Chenghao were arrested or sentenced under the same charge for attending gatherings in Malaysia, as were elderly Pastor Du Liangming and Pastor Sun Chenghao of northeastern China for similar experiences. These cases illustrate that the CCP is systematically using this charge to suppress Christians and church leaders who travel abroad legally. 

Bob Fu Urges U.S. Action on China’s Religious Crackdown

In the interview, Pastor Fu criticized the Biden administration for not paying enough emphasis to the issues of religious freedom in China. He referenced President Trump’s establishment of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, highlighting Trump’s concern for both domestic and global religious liberty. He believes that governments should protect the right of all people to religious freedom and guard against discrimination against Christians. Through his perspective, we will examine the role and responsibility of the international society in defending the value of religious freedom. 

Pastor Bob Fu and the ChinaAid Association have long been at the forefront of advocating for religious freedom in China, having faced several confrontations with CCP authorities. Pastor Fu expressed his strong sense of the CCP’s hostility toward Christianity, which he believes stems from the growing number of Christians and fear of their social influence. He cited Early Rain Covenant Church as an example of a church that continues to stand firm in faith under persecution. He believes that Christianity is ideologically opposed to the Communist Party, and the current persecution is a spiritual and moral struggle. 

This interview is elevated to a more macro level. Pastor Fu offered a spiritual and values-based interpretation of current religious freedom issues within U.S.-China relations. Speaking about President Trump’s policy toward China, Pastor Fu noted that it goes beyond the trade dimension, addressing systems and values. He observed that Trump’s meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister demonstrated an emphasis on friendship and religious freedom, suggesting that the U.S. values China’s treatment of its people and a show of friendship over mere trade benefits. 

Pastor Fu called on the international society to closely monitor the worsening state of religious freedom in China and the CCP’s evolving methods of persecution. 

Transcript of the Pastor Bob Fu’s interview with Radio Taiwan International

Below is the full transcript of the interview. For ease of reading, ChinaAid has made minor edits in certain parts.  

Yang Senhong 

This is the “Serving the People” program – “Witness to Justice.” Today we are interviewing Pastor Bob Fu of the U.S.-based ChinaAid Association. Thank you, Pastor Fu, for accepting our interview. Recently, I’ve been following the case of house church co-worker Dong Yanmei, who was arrested on the charge of “organizing illegal border crossings.” In fact, she held a valid passport and the place she went to was Malaysia. How could that be a violation of the law?  

Pastor Bob Fu  

Hello, Mr. Yang. Preacher Dong Yanmei is a Beijing native. She was formally arrested by authorities in Mianyang, Sichuan on the charge of “organizing illegal border crossing,” which came as a surprise. As you mentioned in your opening remarks, whether she went to Malaysia, Jeju Island in South Korea, or Thailand, she traveled with a valid passport, legally departing China for visa-free countries. Now she has been formally arrested, and the charge references her participation in a Christian gathering while traveling in Malaysia. 

The Chinese Communist Party has started using the so-called crime of “organizing illegal border crossing” to extend its control to the activities of Chinese citizens abroad. Suppose you go abroad legally and participate in what the CCP deems illegal religious activities. In that case, they do not charge you with the crime of taking part in so-called “illegal activities.” Instead, they use this “illegal border crossing” charge to prosecute and arrest you. This is a new tactic of religious persecution by the CCP to criminally punish Christians. The most well-known case, of course, as we all know, is that of American Pastor John Cao.  

In 2017, he was arrested by national security authorities at the China-Myanmar border and sentenced on the charge of “organizing illegal border crossing.” He was released in 2024, having served the full term without a single day reduced. He is still not allowed to return to the U.S. to reunite with his American wife and two children. He remains under restrictions and even needs approval to travel to the city of Changsha.  

In recent years, the situation has worsened. Since early 2020, we’ve seen two pastors from Xuncheng, Taiyuan, Pastor An Yankui and Pastor Zhang Chenghao, who went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to attend a gathering of Indonesian Christians hosted by one of the most well-known Chinese evangelists, Pastor Stephen Tong. After returning to China, they were criminally detained for “illegal border crossing.” Later, in 2022, after being detained for two years, they were sentenced to one year in prison and fined. 

Even though they used legal passports to enter and exit the borders of China and returned to China legally and without violating any laws, they were still sentenced.  

In 2021, there was another case, Pastor Du Mingliang, age 76, from Yangquan, Shanxi, was sentenced to five years in prison on the same charge. He is currently serving his sentence in Yangquan Prison, Shanxi.  

In August 2023, a pastor of Korean ethnicity from northeast China, Pastor Sun Chenghao, went with other Christians to Jeju Island, South Korea, and participated in a theological study of Christianity. When he returned to China, he was criminally arrested in December 2023, also on the charge of “organizing illegal border crossing.” It has been nearly two years, and he still has not been formally sentenced.  

In recent years, a series of such cases have shown how the CCP has used this charge to persecute Christians and house church leaders who exit and enter into Chinese borders with valid documentation. This is a new method. 

Yang Senhong 

Yes, so essentially Dong Yanmei did not illegally cross any borders or violate any laws. The real reason for her arrest is the persecution of Christians. 

Pastor Bob Fu  

Yes, along with her, three other Christians were arrested by the Mianyang police of Sichuan across regions. They were also criminally detained and are now out on guarantee pending trial. All of them were detained for attending a Christian gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is still unclear what sentencing the authorities plan to impose. Her family issued a special prayer letter, asking everyone to pray for Sister Dong Yanmei. She is from Beijing and has been active in organizing house church missions for a long time. She is also a relatively well-known sister in Christ and a female preacher. 

Yang Senhong 

Dong Yanmei’s case is not an isolated one. It is a large-scale campaign that is widespread by the CCP to persecute Christians. But this campaign has already been ongoing for quite some time. During the previous U.S. administration under President Biden, while these issues were not entirely ignored, there was no active response. What are your thoughts? 

Pastor Bob Fu  

I think his appeasement policy toward the CCP continued the previous approach and attitude that unilaterally pleaded for mercy from the CCP. They have even secretly detained and sentenced religious leaders from China and U.S. citizens. This clearly indicates that, through our engagement with the Biden administration in recent years, the issue of religious freedom is not a priority in its foreign policy. The Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom appointed by the State Department under Biden essentially holds a symbolic position with very minimal real influence, mostly sitting on the sidelines and unable to play an effective role. 

Last week, President Trump held a special press conference in the White House Rose Garden to announce the establishment of the U.S. National Religious Liberty Commission. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick was appointed as chair, and members include Dr. Ben Carson, who was a physician at Johns Hopkins University and also a former Republican presidential candidate. 

During his first term, President Trump set up a large religious freedom commission at the White House. I believe he was the first president to place such importance on religious liberty. In particular, President Trump spoke of defending religious freedom and paying attention to the religious freedom of American Christians. Over the years, American Christians have also been under pressure from political correctness and woke culture. Some government policies, including how laws are enforced, have been discriminatory, and there have been obvious cases of persecution against Christians. 

President Trump said he hopes to protect everyone’s right to religious freedom and that no Christians should face reverse discrimination. After his inauguration on January 20, he announced a major initiative: he granted pardons to a number of Christians and Catholics. One of them had been arrested and sentenced to several years in prison simply for silently praying on a road near an abortion clinic. She was an elderly Christian, persecuted just like that. And there are many other similar cases that can be found. Even in modern Western society, issues regarding religious freedom still exist. I believe this is closely related to whether a country and its leadership prioritize international religious freedom. I also hope we can abandon this attitude of disdain toward religious freedom. 

Yang Senhong 

Over the years, Pastor Fu, your ChinaAid Association has carried out so much rescue work and had more than one confrontation with the Chinese Communist Party. Do you feel that the CCP holds a fundamentally hostile attitude toward Christians and the Christian faith? 

Pastor Bob Fu 

Yes, their attitude is like an anti-Christ. This stems from a deep-rooted fear. On one hand, despite the CCP’s pressure towards Christians and Churches over the past 70 years, the number of Christians has grown by more than 100-fold, from 1 million in 1949 to over 100 million today. On the other hand, today’s Christians are highly educated and are deeply concerned about public affairs. Take, for example, the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, led by Pastor Wang Yi. Despite severe persecution, Wang Yi was sentenced to nine years and is still in prison, the church continues to gather. They remain active in prison ministry, youth ministry, and ministry that support former dissidents. I believe the Church is the conscience of the world.  

Because Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4–5) The light is bright, and the CCP’s entire ideology is anti-Christ ideology; it is darkness and represents dark forces and death. It binds the soul; one could say it is a kind of cult. Their hostility toward Christianity has intensified, especially since Xi Jinping came to power. Whether tearing down crosses or using various methods of suppression, even the officially state-sanctioned “Three-Self Patriotic” churches are not spared. Even for a pastor from  Jinhua, Zhejiang, who was sentenced to over ten years in prison simply for refusing to take down the cross as Xi Jinping required. He is still serving time. This is truly a spiritual battle, as well as a battle for justice and the rule of law. 

Yang Senhong 

A trade war was initiated by President Trump, and he has taken a tough stance against atheistic China. It seems he wants to hold history accountable; he recently questioned why Nixon cooperated with such an atheistic regime and broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Behind that, Trump implies that such actions were unjust according to what the Bible said about acting justly. Now, President Trump even brought up related United Nations documents. Whether he’s referring to the “anti-Christ” or calling it “the devil” of the end times, there’s a sense of declaring war. What’s your take? 

Pastor Bob Fu  

Yes, this is indeed a battle between freedom and slavery, life and death. Last week, President Trump gave a media interview and talked about “free up China.” Some interpret this as merely economically free, but it reflects the thinking of his team. Just like the Treasury Secretary said on Fox News today, the CCP has now essentially bowed down, sending representatives to Geneva to meet with the U.S. Treasury and White House trade officials. This is indeed a directional shift. The CCP’s authoritarian system has taken a massive hit due to the trade war. What we see today may be economic in form, but in essence, it’s a war between freedom and bondage, between democracy and dictatorship. 

Yang Senhong 

This time, Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister Carney of the Liberal Party visited Trump. He narrowly won the election by opposing Trump. But now he’s going to meet with him. Meanwhile, Alberta has even moved toward independence, declaring it wants to become the 51st state of the United States. During this process, I heard Trump say that what he wants from Canada is friendship. In truth, the U.S. doesn’t need Canada’s resources, including oil. He said, we don’t need that, what we need is friendship. This sudden move is a message to Canada, implying that the left’s past actions have strayed too far from God. This friendship should be grounded in the Kingdom of God that he prays for daily. 

Pastor Bob Fu  

President Trump met with Canada’s new Prime Minister Carney and held a press conference in the White House office, addressing some very transparent questions. Unexpectedly, Prime Minister Carney praised Trump’s leadership on border issues, reshaping the international order, and NATO reform, offering a series of commendations. Trump also gave him significant respect by personally welcoming him outside the White House. Of course, Trump also candidly told him that the American people hope for friendship and hope Canada does not take that friendship for granted. He emphasized that the U.S. protects Canada’s national security, and that Canada can’t just refuse to contribute the 2% of GDP required by NATO. 

Prime Minister Carney made full commitments. I saw that the entire press conference was broadcast live globally. The Prime Minister only said one thing in return, which is why Trump keeps bringing up the idea of the 51st state. Trump replied, “It takes two to tango,” meaning both parties must be willing. When a reporter asked if he was trying to take over Canada, Trump denied it and emphasized the focus was friendship. Canada hopes to eliminate the trade deficit with the U.S. because the U.S. can manufacture anything. The Prime Minister of Canada might be trying to reassure his voters that Canada will never be for sale. But Trump said twice, “Never say never. Never say never.” Maybe Alberta might want to join first? (laughs) 

Yang Senhong 

So, many people, being sensitive to this shift, are directly linking it to the U.S.–China negotiations. In a way, it is a public message to the American people: the U.S. does not need anything from China. What the U.S. wants is a demonstration of goodwill from China and better treatment of its own people. If you can do that, tariffs won’t be a problem. But if you can’t treat your own citizens well, don’t value human rights, and continue to persecute religions, if you keep doing evil, then for Trump, to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God is a calling. That means he can have compassion and humility in facing issues. But toward evildoers, he cannot tolerate them. 

Pastor Bob Fu  

Because he mentioned it today, and directly spoke on it, we have to understand that others are coming to us asking to sign deals, we don’t need to chase after agreements. Because the U.S. has a massive market, a thriving workforce, and the world’s leading technology and innovation. What he’s talking about goes beyond trade, it involves issues with systems, the soul, and values. 

Yang Senhong 

It is a matter of justice not a matter of profit.  

Pastor Bob Fu 

It’s spiritual. Ultimately, it’s a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10–24). 

Yang Senhong 

He’s becoming a spiritual leader. Through these phases, where people used to see him as transactional, now he’s becoming transformational. 

Pastor Bob Fu  

The conversation with the Canadian Prime Minister really marked a shift in tone. 

Yang Senhong 

Yes. Many things Trump has done are slowly revealing the kind of leader he truly is, and people are beginning to realize it. We discussed so many people today, how China blatantly violates its own laws and persecutes Christians and the CCP will soon realize that they will all  become points of negotiation. I believe that the authoritarian system in China will change. Ultimately, it’s irreconcilable. Xi Jinping’s regime initially made vague promises, like buying U.S. soybeans or Boeing planes, but after rounds of talks, it became clear they don’t honor their word and there’s no credibility left. They’ve lost the trust of the world. 

Look at their actions toward Taiwan, forcibly seizing islands from the Philippines, and stealing islands from Vietnam. Now they’re left with just a few isolated dictators, Putin and North Korea as a “sidekick.” As for other regions like Africa, many nations that didn’t receive the promised money through the Belt and Road initiative are now seeing the true face of this new colonialism. Many countries are now turning against the Chinese Communist Party. I believe they’ve hit a dead end. 

Today, our guest on the program was Pastor Bob Fu from ChinaAid Association. Thank you! 

(Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai of ChinaAid)