An anti-persecution charity has said a Chinese Catholic priest has been arrested - the fifth to be detained in his province this month.
According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) Fr Yang Jianwei went missing in the northern Hebei Province last week.
Father Yang is the parish priest for Anzhuang village in Baoding and belongs to a Catholic community which has not been given permission to worship by the Chinese government.
Christianity outside of the state-sponsored Three Self Patriotic Movement church is illegal in China.
The priest is one of five to have been arrested in Hebei Province this month according to CSW, two of which have since been released.
The news comes after it emerged a Chinese Christian woman was killed trying to stop a bulldozer demolishing her church.
Ding Cuimei was buried alive along with her husband Pastor Lian Jiangong last week protecting Beitou Church in the central Henan Province.
Chinese authorities arrested two men in connection with Ding Cuimei's death.
Her death is part of a Chinese crackdown on unsanctioned Christianity which has seen thousands of church crosses taken down and at least dozens of Christians imprisoned.
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