China 1
February 24th

“We proudly speak of China’s perseverance and faith!”
Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.(2 Thessalonians 1:4,NIV)

》 Country Profile

Continent | East Asia
Population | 1.41 billion
Area | 9,596,960㎢, The fourth largest country in the world, located in Northeast Asia.
Capital City | Beijing (21.33 million people)
People Groups | Total 545 groups, East Asians 91.1% (73 ethnic groups, Mandarin Han 61%, Wu Han 6.7%, Chinese Hui 1%, Mongolian 0.4%), Southeast Asians 3.3% (167 ethnic groups, Zhuang 1.2%, Miao 0.7%) Tibetans 2.5% (238 ethnic groups, Lusu 0.2%, Tibetans 0.5%), Turkic peoples 1% (26 ethnic groups, Uyghur 0.8%)
People Groups Unreached | 443 (10.1% of the population)
Offical Language(s) | Mandarin (Mandarin, Standard Chinese)
Total Languages | 308
Bible Translations | Completed 40, New Testament 30, Partial 37
Religion | Christianity 9.2% (independent churches 8.3%, Catholic 0.7%), Non-religion 43.6%, Ethnic religion 32.3%, Buddhism 12.9%, Islam 2%, Evangelical 7.5% 105 million people

》 About China

China‘s history as a unified state began in 221 BC with the Qin Dynasty. Over thousands of years, it experienced cycles of unification and division under successive imperial dynasties until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. In 1840, Britain inflicted significant damage on the Qing during the First Opium War, resulting in the loss of Hong Kong to Britain and parts of Manchuria to Russia. After the Russo-Japanese War, the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, led by Sun Yat-sen, ended imperial rule and established the Republic of China. In 1928, Chiang Kai-shek consolidated the Nationalist government, broke ties with the Soviet Union, and sought to suppress the growing Communist Party. Meanwhile, Mao Zedong’s Communist Party fought the Japanese in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), temporarily uniting with the Nationalists. After Japan’s defeat, the two factions engaged in a civil war, which ended in 1949 when the Communists established the People’s Republic of China, forcing the Nationalists to retreat to Taiwan. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) under Mao’s rule, radical policies led to social upheaval and the deaths of an estimated 45 million people. In 2013, Xi Jinping became president and has since maintained authoritarian control. His leadership enforces strict media censorship, religious oppression, and repression of ethnic minorities such as Uyghurs and Tibetans. His ideology, “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” has cemented long-term governance while intensifying crackdowns in Hong Kong and escalating tensions with Taiwan.

China’s economy grew rapidly due to gradual price liberalization, greater autonomy for state-owned enterprises, growth of the private sector, and the development of stock markets and modern banking systems, as well as the opening up of foreign trade and investment. By 2010, China became the world’s largest exporter, and continued economic growth led it to surpass the United States for the first time in 2014. However, China’s per capita income remains below the global average, with a large wealth gap between rich and poor. The government’s population control policies have led to a rapid aging population, while issues like air pollution, soil erosion, and water shortages are long-term environmental challenges. Moreover, unethical business practices, human trafficking, and drug trade contribute to illegal economic activity. Human rights issues persist, and urbanization is causing an increase in internal migration, leading to family breakdowns, suicides, divorces, and an unbalanced gender ratio, all of which may pose significant social problems in the future. Despite these challenges, China was the only major economy to achieve positive growth during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. China’s GDP per capita is approximately $17,600.

》 Scripture Focus

》 Prayer Points

1. China is a one-party communist state that controls legislation, judiciary, administration, the military, and the media, exercising absolute authority over the society and individuals. Since taking office in 2013, President Xi Jinping has strengthened authoritarian rule, suppressing individual rights to maintain his long-term leadership. Restrictions on online religious activities have intensified, requiring government approval for posting religious content on the internet. Worship materials, including hymns and Sunday school resources, are censored to align with communist ideology. The government is also distorting the Bible by creating a “communist version” and strengthening efforts to “Sinicize” religions. Let us pray for mercy upon the Chinese government, asking God to lead them away from opposing Him and to transform the nation into one that glorifies and praises Him.

2. During the early days of missionary work in China, Hudson Taylor arrived in 1853 and founded the China Inland Mission, focusing on Hangzhou and Yangzhou to share the Gospel with ordinary people. The early Chinese church, primarily starting as house churches, experienced significant growth between 1926 and 1949, with 560,000 to 700,000 believers before the rise of the communist regime. When China became communist, missionaries and churches faced severe persecution. Starting in 1951, the government established state-controlled organizations like the Three-Self Church and the China Christian Council (CCC) to unify and regulate churches under communist rule. Despite these challenges, the church thrived under God’s protection, growing to over 100 million believers. Through trials, the church was purified. The church prayed in the Spirit’s power and spread the Gospel with perseverance, even facing martyrdom. Let us praise God for enabling the Chinese church, like the early church, to remain steadfast in faith and be a testimony to His glory amid persecution.

3. The house church networks, a key driver of growth in the Chinese church, have faced increased hardships since the implementation of the “Regulations on Religious Affairs” in 2018. These laws tighten surveillance on religious activities, imposing fines of up to 200,000 yuan for hosting “illegal religious events.” Church closures, cross removals, and the arrest of pastors, leaders, and missionaries have made evangelism and missionary work highly restricted. Non-state Christian churches and foreign religious organizations face significant challenges in continuing their missions. Additionally, house churches and the Three-Self Church are vulnerable to cults, material temptations, moral issues in marriage and family, and a lack of proper Bible-based education and discipleship. Let us pray that God strengthens the Chinese church to live in a manner worthy of His calling, bringing to fruition works of faith and goodness by His power.

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