THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

 

November 2025

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As Chinese economic and political influence continues to grow so does domestic pressure on minority groups such as Christians. Christians form the largest social body in the country not under the complete control of the state, comprising 6.8% of the population, or 96 million people. As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to consolidate its power, it continues to regard religion as a latent threat to Communist ideology and social stability. ​ China is officially an atheist country, and lately the state has been enforcing religion’s illegality with growing intensity. One of the main ways it has been doing this is through what has been dubbed “Sinicization.” Its most basic definition is “the natural process by which non-Chinese societies, or in this case, religions, come under the influence of Chinese culture.” Missionaries typically see it as an inevitable, predictable, and good thing, but in recent years, the Chinese government's insistence on Sinicization has raised controversy.

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Instead of a normal grassroots, gradual change, Sinicization has become a top-down, government-launched initiative where the state has determined assertively to mold Christianity into its own definition of Chinese culture. In fact, it is not merely about making churches “more Chinese,” but about enforcing alignment with CCP ideology and changing the very nature and heart of Christianity.  In step with Sinicization, new restrictions on religion are being applied, and old ones are being more closely followed, leading to an uptick in arrests by the government. All across China, religious expression is increasingly censored, including all forms of Christian media, like online channels and publications. In churches, CCTV has been installed, agents are constantly monitoring congregations, and there is extensive online tracking of church activities. Furthermore, pastors are increasingly pressured to promote CCP teachings and further dilute the Gospel. This increased persecution has continued to fracture both the state-sanctioned and the independent church networks.  

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State-sanctioned churches are split into two groups: the Protestant congregations overseen by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the Catholic parishes supervised by the Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA). The TSPM was founded in 1954 on the three principles of self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation, with the goal of severing ties with foreign missionary organizations and bringing Protestant churches under state control. As such, most TPSM churches teach that one can be a Christian and be Chinese, and Christianity is not just a Western individualistic religion. It is important to recognize that although TSPM churches are allowed to function in some capacity, much of what they teach derives from Communist ideology, and it is not uncommon to find Bible verses and stories changed to match Communist teachings.

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This has led many to speculate that the CCP is really in charge of the TSPM. The story is similar for the CPA who comes under the direct jurisdiction of the Communist Party. Because of this, CPA parishes are severely limited and may not adhere to the primacy of the pontiff in Rome.   While independent churches in China vastly outnumber state-sanctioned ones, they are much less well connected and organized. Because of their lack of affiliation with the government, most independent churches are forced to meet in secret, or “underground,” and often face arrest, job loss, or detention. However, increased surveillance within the country has made it more difficult for the independent church network, or any religious group in general, to meet at all. ​Converts to Christianity usually come from either a Muslim or Buddhist (Tibetan) background and face pressure from both the government and their family/community. As already established, the government heavily restricts any action deemed political or dangerous, of which religion is included.

 

Furthermore, the CCP has stepped up its presence in areas with a large concentration of ethnic minorities, particularly the provinces of Xinjiang (home to the Muslim Uighurs) and Tibet (home predominantly to Buddhists). With the increased government presence effectively creating "police states" in these regions, it has become progressively difficult to promote religious freedom or conversion. However, the bulk of pressure against conversion comes from families or communities. For the majority of converts, their faith is a major part of their ethnicity. Any deviation from the religion is seen as a betrayal, as every member of the ethnic group is expected to be of the same religion. Because of this expectation, families often put converts under huge pressure to return to their "true faith," as it is a uniting factor for ethnic groups. 

 

In practice, this makes it almost impossible for converts to share their faith with others. ​In schools all throughout China, children are indoctrinated from a young age to the views of the Communist Party. They are taught an anti-religious ideology and are often pressured to join Communist youth organizations. Furthermore, Christian children and youth are often are risk of being barred from graduation or higher education for their faith, and their parents are closely monitored by authorities. ​In terms of gender-based persecution, both men and women face arrests, surveillance, and imprisonment. However, women arguably face more mistreatment. Because of declining marriage and birth rates, there is an increased pressure on women to conform to "family virtue" and focus on child-rearing and family building. To combat the declining rates, the government has introduced birth subsidies and cash rewards for brides aged 25 or younger. This has led to the fear of increasing restrictions and vulnerability for Christian women.

 

Female converts from Muslim/Buddhist backgrounds face sexual violence, forced marriage, or trafficking because their conversion is viewed as a betrayal of their ethnic group.​Christian men also face difficulties as well. They are often the primary financial providers for their families, so any sort of arrest or detainment severely cripples a family's ability to survive. Furthermore, men in church leadership positions face increasing interrogation or detainment, which continues to cripple the structure of Chinese churches.​​​  Leading into the future, the world should anticipate an assertive and combative PRC, seeking to control all aspects of human activity and to dominate all arenas inside and outside its borders. Furthermore, the citizens of China can expect a continuation of current hardline policies and a greater centralization of power, which means Christians are more likely to be seen as a threat to security than an asset. Christians in China will have to adapt to a new and much narrower environment, especially the Christian groups who are not affiliated with state-approved churches. 

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IIRF-V Fellows are currently working on research into religious freedom in the People's Republic of China.  For more information, see Open Doors' World Watch List entry for the PRC.  

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