Massacre at Tiananmen Square anniversary - copyright ZUMA/REX
World News
China shuts down "unofficial" churches ahead of G20
by Hannah Tooley
China is shutting down a number of "unofficial" churches near the site of the G20 summit, according to reports coming in from the country.
Large religious activities have also been banned to create a "safe environment" according to state media.
The meetings are due to begin in September in Hangzhou in eastern Zhejiang, the most Christian part of the nation, and world leaders are expected to attend.
The Telegraph has reported that one area will be banned from "holding large-scale activities from July 1st to September 9th."
Authorities in China have also begun shutting down Christian house churches too.
China:
Leader: President Xi Jinping Population: 1.4 billion, 97 million Christians Government: Socialism World Watch List Rank: 33
There are an estimated 97 million Christians in China.
Zhejiang has been an area particularly targeted by government since a vigorous process of cross removal since 2013.
The authorities claim the removal is for health and safety reasons.
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Sorry, your web browser is not capable of supporting the features required by this website. We advise you upgrade your web browser before continuing to use this website.
The following web browsers are supported by this website:
Apple web kit UI:
Version 537 or later
Microsoft Internet Explorer:
Version 11 or later
Microsoft Edge:
Any version
Google Chrome:
Version 70 or later
Mozilla Firefox:
Version 65 or later
Apple Safari:
Version 601 or later
Opera:
Version 60 or later
Facebook App:
Any version
Twitter App:
Any version
Please contact your system administrator if you require assistance upgrading or changing your web browser. We will not notify you again about this until you next restart your browser.
