China Wants Citizens to Report ‘Illegal’ Religious Practice

The useful part

Click to expand Image The eight members of Zion Church who remain detained. Wu Qiuyu, Liu Zhenbin, Yin Huibin, Wang Zhong © Private Chinese lawyer Ruth Wang fled to Taiwan on September 2 after authorities threatened to shut down her law firm. Representing members of China's Zion Church, a prominent underground Protestant congregation.

How it works

• Chinese leader Xi Jinping launched his "Sinicization of religion" policy in 2016, which included government regulations tightening controls over religious life.
• Recently, authorities have continued to tighten surveillance over religious activities.
• In the first half of 2026 alone, more than a dozen cities across the country introduced measures encouraging or rewarding people to report religious activities the government labels "illegal." The reporting...
• Authorities in Haidong, Qinghai province, extended reporting obligations to businesses, ordering hotels and travel agencies to screen the events they host and report any "suspicious...