China has launched a fresh and forceful crackdown on underground Christian churches, according to reporting by the BBC. Protestant leaders have been arrested, church buildings have been torn apart, and security forces have been deployed in large numbers. Rights groups and church members say the latest actions show that Beijing is accelerating its campaign to bring all religious life under Communist Party control.

At the center of the latest crackdown is the Early Rain Covenant Church, one of China’s most influential underground Protestant congregations. Police detained nine people after raiding the homes of church leaders and the church office in Chengdu. Five were later released, but four remain in custody, including current leader Li Yingqiang and his wife Zhang Xinyue.

Church members described the arrests as a coordinated operation. Authorities have not explained the legal grounds for the detentions, and it remains unclear whether formal charges have been filed. Church leaders told the BBC that arrests are now happening far more quickly than in the past, with little warning and few intermediate steps such as fines or official notices.

Just weeks earlier, Li Yingqiang had warned members that another crackdown was coming, writing that he sensed a storm gathering and urging families to prepare themselves.

Yayang Church Demolition in Wenzhou

More than a thousand miles away, authorities moved heavy machinery to demolish part of the Yayang Church building in Wenzhou, a city often called the “Jerusalem of China” because of its large Christian population. Video obtained by advocacy group ChinaAid shows cranes and bulldozers tearing into the structure while armed and special police guarded the area.

According to ChinaAid, hundreds of officers were deployed, nearby residents were forced to leave, and workers were warned not to take photos or record video. In December alone, authorities arrested around 100 Yayang Church members over several days. At least two dozen remain in custody.

Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, said the scale of the operation shows the central government’s determination to stamp out independent churches unless they are fully indoctrinated into Communist Party ideology.

A Broader Wave of Repression

The current actions follow a string of aggressive moves against underground Protestant networks. In October, authorities detained about 30 leaders connected to the Zion Church across seven cities. Founder Ezra Jin remains in custody, and many others face charges related to online religious activity.

The Early Rain Covenant Church has faced pressure for years. In 2018, police arrested its founder, Pastor Wang Yi, and detained more than 100 members in one of the largest church crackdowns in a decade. Wang Yi was later sentenced to prison for inciting subversion and illegal business operations and is not due to be released until 2027. Despite this, the church has continued to meet online and replay his recorded sermons.

Human rights groups say these actions reflect a clear pattern: churches that refuse to register with state sanctioned religious bodies are increasingly treated as political threats.

Xi Jinping and the Drive for Control

Under Xi Jinping, China has tightened restrictions on religious freedom. Since 2015, the government has pushed a policy known as the sinicisation of religion, requiring all faiths to align with Chinese culture, socialist values, and Communist Party leadership.

New rules have banned clergy from preaching live on social media, organizing online activities for children, or raising funds online without using government approved platforms. Rights researchers say these measures have made it far easier for authorities to identify and shut down independent religious communities.

Yalkun Uluyol of Human Rights Watch said the government has intensified its intolerance of any loyalties that exist outside the Communist Party, calling on foreign governments and religious leaders to pressure Beijing to free detained believers.

The Zion Church, one of China’s largest underground Protestant networks, has been a major target in recent months. Police detained nearly 30 pastors and leaders in coordinated raids across multiple provinces. Many were accused of illegal use of information networks, a charge often linked to online sermons and digital religious content.

Observers say Zion’s size, national reach, and refusal to submit to state control made it a symbol of independent religious life that authorities could no longer tolerate. Advocacy groups warn that the Zion Church arrests may signal a new nationwide campaign against all unofficial churches.

Protestants are not the only ones facing repression. China’s underground Catholic community, loyal to Rome rather than the state run Catholic Patriotic Association, continues to endure arrests, disappearances, and long term detention.

Underground bishops such as Augustine Cui Tai have been repeatedly detained, while others, including Bishop James Su Zhimin, have effectively vanished into police custody. Families and supporters say these cases show that Catholics who refuse to submit to state control remain at constant risk.

The Pope Weighs In

The Vatican has tried to ease tensions through a provisional agreement with Beijing first approved in 2018 under Pope Francis. The deal, which concerns the appointment of bishops, was defended as a way to unify Chinese Catholics. Critics argue it has instead emboldened the Communist Party while leaving underground Catholics exposed.

The agreement has been quietly renewed, including under Pope Leo XIV, elected in 2025. Beijing has expressed hope for continued dialogue, while critics say China has continued to detain even Vatican approved bishops and push clergy into the state controlled system.

Many underground Catholics feel abandoned, arguing that compromise has not slowed repression but intensified it.

Christian groups, human rights advocates, and foreign officials describe the situation as one of the most severe assaults on religious freedom in China in years. They say the combination of mass arrests, surveillance, online restrictions, and church demolitions points to a government determined to eliminate any independent civil society.

Chinese authorities insist that religious freedom exists within the bounds of the law and accuse foreign critics of interfering in internal affairs. But for believers on the ground, the message is clear: faith is permitted only when it submits fully to party control.

As arrests continue and church buildings fall, many Christians fear that the space for independent worship in China is rapidly disappearing.