The most overt persecution in China often takes place in regions where Buddhism or Islam are the majority religions—anyone who converts to Christianity is seen as a traitor to their ethnicity and family. These believers may be threatened or even harmed, all in an attempt to convince them to return to the family’s religion. 

However, persecution and discrimination are slowly spreading throughout most of China. The Chinese Communist Party’s goal is to make sure churches don’t fall out of line with official viewpoints. In the case of official churches, this means they are encouraged to praise and pledge allegiance to the Communist Party and its ideology. Churches that claim Christ as King are viewed with suspicion, especially since Christianity is seen as a primarily Western influence. It’s always been true that house churches exist in a legal gray area, where they are unregistered and technically not allowed, but largely tolerated. New regulations continue to chip away at this status quo. Children under 18 continue to be forbidden from attending church. Most churches are monitored and can be shut down without warning. 

Digital persecution also impacts the church in China. Restrictions passed in 2018 as part of a wide-ranging law on religion have made it harder for Christians to use the Internet or social media to pursue their faith. The government’s growing authoritarianism means that every Chinese citizen can be sure that none of their digital footprint is out of the state’s view. Christian chat groups are routinely shut down, and the government’s sophisticated surveillance system has been rolled out to target minority groups in some regions. Observers fear this technology will increasingly be used to target Christians, especially those in house churches.