(Shaanxi – May 11, 2026) According to Chang Shengyi (常圣义), the son of imprisoned Pastor Chang Yuchun (常玉春), his father’s health has deteriorated significantly while serving his sentence at Fuping Prison in Shaanxi Province, raising serious concern.
Chang Shengyi revealed that on May 3, during a phone call from his father in prison, he noticed that his voice was extremely weak. During the call, Chang Yuchun stated that his physical condition had worsened rapidly in recent days. His long-term joint dislocation problems have become increasingly severe and can no longer be reset. Conventional medication has reportedly become largely ineffective. Chang Yuchun is now suffering from severe difficulties with eating and insomnia, enduring extreme physical pain on a daily basis. His family stated that they are preparing to travel to the prison for a visit.
Chang Yuchun (formerly known as Chang Yuguang/常玉光), 58 years old, was the legal representative of the former Shaanxi Guangyi Aisheng Printing Company. Since 2015, his company has printed books related to the Christian faith and has long been under the attention of local authorities.
On July 21, 2020, Xi’an cultural law enforcement authorities, together with state security officials, raided and shut down the company, confiscating more than 210,000 religious books. Authorities later identified 24 titles, including Reformed Faith, as “illegal publications printed without authorization.”
Chang Yuchun and his wife, Li Chenhui (李琛慧), were arrested on July 22, 2020. Initially, they were placed under residential surveillance at a designated location on suspicion of “subverting state power.” In October of the same year, the charges were changed, and they were criminally detained on suspicion of “illegal business operations.”
On August 19, 2021, the Gaoling District Court in Xi’an ruled in the first trial that Chang Yuchun had printed illegal publications without a license and disrupted market order. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for “illegal business operations” and fined 250,000 yuan (approx. USD 37,000).
Chang Yuchun appealed the first-instance verdict. On November 15, 2021, the Xi’an Intermediate People’s Court issued its second-instance ruling, rejecting the appeal and upholding the original sentence.
The prison terms of both Chang Yuchun and his wife, Li Chenhui, are scheduled to end on September 1, 2027. Chang Yuchun is currently still serving his sentence at Fuping Prison in Shaanxi Province. Given his current health crisis, there is growing concern over whether he will receive timely medical treatment while in prison.
Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid