(Zhejiang – March 13, 2026) In the Wenzhou region of eastern China, once hailed as the “Jerusalem of China,” the religious atmosphere has once again plunged into tension. According to local Christians and informed sources, two members of the Yayang Church in Taishun County, Zhejiang Province, were taken away by police over the past two weeks, and their current whereabouts remain unknown.
These arrests, occurring on February 26 and March 9, 2026, are viewed as the latest development in the ongoing pressure on Christianity in the local area. It is reported that both arrested Christians are male members of the local Taishun County church (Assembly). Despite multiple visits by family members to the local law enforcement agency to inquire about the location of detention and specific charges, they have received only endless evasions in response.
This arrest operation did not come out of thin air. In fact, Yayang Church became a focal point for local authorities several months ago.
According to information obtained by ChinaAid, on December 14, 2025, Yayang Church was subjected to a large-scale law enforcement action. At that time, numerous law enforcement officers stormed into the church’s activity site and took away several core coworkers for interrogation. That operation not only caused a forced disruption of the church’s daily activities but also left deep-seated fear in the hearts of local Christians.
Observers point out that the non-transparent criminal detentions targeting individuals in 2025 reflect a further tightening of grassroots religious policy in Zhejiang.
For individuals who have long monitored religious rights in China, the recent “disappearance-style” detentions have expanded the scope of repression against Yayang Church; family members allege that this law enforcement process seriously violates China’s own legal procedures.
“The investigating agency refuses to disclose truthful information and will not provide relevant legal documents; this is a complete procedural violation of the law,” stated an informed source who requested anonymity for safety reasons. “This is not only interference with religious freedom but a trampling of basic human rights for citizens.”
According to China’s Criminal Procedure Law, except in a few extreme cases involving national security, police should promptly notify family members after taking compulsory measures. However, the experiences of Yayang Church over two consecutive years (2025 and 2026) show that local law enforcement departments often bypass these statutory mechanisms for protecting rights when dealing with Christian churches.
Since the large-scale “Cross Removal” campaign launched by Zhejiang Province in 2014, house churches in the Wenzhou area have remained under high-pressure surveillance by the authorities. The crackdown on Yayang Church from last December to the present is clear evidence of this long-term policy tightening.
On social media and in Christian message groups, Yayang Church has issued urgent calls for intercessory prayer, requesting outside attention to the detainees’ physical and mental well-being and calling on church members to demonstrate “courage to defend rights according to the law.”
In a statement, the “House Church of China” publicly called on the Wenzhou Municipal Government to “Respect the Constitution and the law, and stop trampling on the rights of citizens.” Currently, the public security departments of Wenzhou City and Taishun County have not issued any official comment on this case.
