China 2
February 25th

“Create in China a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within them!”
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10,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. In recent years, many foreign missionaries in China were expelled, with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 leading to even more missionaries withdrawing from the country. Let us pray for missionaries to continue serving China not only through traditional ministry and community development but also by following the wisdom and opportunities God provides.
A growing number of Chinese Christians have embraced the vision for missions, such as the Back to Jerusalem Movement, aiming to send 100,000 missionaries worldwide. Some house church networks have supported mission work among minority groups and other regions for many years. Thousands of Chinese believers have even lived among other ethnic groups to learn their languages and cultures. We are thankful for the growth in their faith and love and let us ask for thorough preparation and training to support their commitment to overseas missions.

2. China has the world’s largest military, with over four million personnel, including police forces. However, Christian believers within this group are very few. Additionally, China has about 300 million children and youth under 15 years old, many of whom are influenced by atheism embedded in the education system, shaping their worldview.
About 10% of China’s population consists of minority ethnic groups, roughly 150 million people. Let us pray for the Chinese Church to remain faithful to its calling to reach these souls who do not yet know the Gospel. May they build relationships wisely and sensitively to share the good news. Radio programs like FEBC and TWR have long been effective tools for sharing the gospel with minority groups, but we pray for even more methods to open up so that many hearts in China will turn to God in repentance and receive salvation through Christ.

3. Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, is known as the “City of Sin” due to its casino industry, which fuels materialism and greed. Gambling dominates many lives, leading to addiction, despair, and hopelessness. Young people often avoid seeking work outside the high-paying casino industry. The casino business also brings issues like prostitution, drug addiction, and human trafficking.
Let us pray for God to create clean and pure hearts in the people of Macau, helping them recognize His truth about judgment and eternal destiny. May they turn from their sinful ways in sincere repentance and live lives that bring joy to God. We also ask for them to be restored as individuals who dedicate themselves to God and His Kingdom.

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