Chinese authorities are celebrating an increase in the nation’s persecution of religious minorities, according to International Christian Concern (ICC), an advocacy group for the persecuted church.

On the social media platform WeChat, China’s Ministry of Public Security bragged of increased spending on technology and resources to suppress independent religious organizations, ICC stated. The group added that this crackdown has targeted the independent Christian house church movement.

Bob Fu, who participated in the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989 as a young man and founded Christian advocacy group ChinaAid in recent years, confirmed that persecution is getting worse.

“Even the official churches are persecuted for faithfully following the teaching of the Bible,” Fu told The Roys Report (TRR). “All children and students are totally banned from believing in Christ. They’re not even allowed to go to church.”

The Chinese government perceives religious freedom as a threat to the absolute loyalty it demands from citizens towards the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As a result, the government frequently labels non-state religious groups as “cults,” regardless of their actual beliefs, ICC said.

According to the Global Times, a Communist Party media outlet, “China’s public security authorities have intensified efforts to dismantle cult organizations in 2024.” The party media outlet added that these actions aim to control the growth of such groups, reducing potential threats to national security while ensuring social stability.

The term “cult” used in the Global Times report refers to “xie jiao,” a term that dates back to the Ming Dynasty, ICC stated. It has historically been applied to movements or beliefs that are considered anti-government or do not adhere to the Communist Party’s strict principles.

Fu called this recent labeling of Christians and other religious minorities “a major concern.” He noted how the CCP labeled the Falun Gong as a “cult” starting in 1999, with harrowing results in the years following.

“This resulted in hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong members being arbitrarily arrested, getting severe sentences up from 20 years to life,” Fu told TRR. “Several thousand of them were confirmed dead after being tortured in detention or prison.”

Freedoms under fire in China

China has long been accused of human rights abuses, including forced abortions, sterilizing women without consent, and even murdering religious minorities for organ harvesting.

Christian house churches are a way of evading government oversight, but they are frequently raided, ICC said. Chinese authorities often arrest and charge church members with undermining the state’s interests.

China is a global leader in using technology for mass surveillance and control. While the full scope of its surveillance system is not fully known, research indicates that it tracks citizens’ movements to assess their loyalty to the CCP, according to ICC. Every detail, from a person’s appearance to their associations, is monitored as part of a system designed to assess and control public allegiance.

The data collected by this system is used to identify and control individuals seen as threats to the state, particularly those involved in unregistered house churches or anyone wishing to practice religion outside the boundaries of state-controlled institutions.

Weeks ago, Fu addressed U.S. leaders on Capitol Hill regarding religious freedom issues in China.

He told TRR that it’s important for U.S. policymakers to sanction Chinse officials responsible for persecution. And his organization even provides information on how individuals can write to Chinese advocates in prison.

“We must not forget our imprisoned brothers and sisters,” said Fu, urging believers to pray. “By joining hands, praying for them and with them, the Lord will be working among them—and in our hearts.”

Josh Shepherd is production editor at The Roys Report and a journalist who writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in central Florida.