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News Update on Religion and Church in China November 30, 2025 – March 20, 2026 (March 20, 2026, China Zentrum e.V.)
Religions & Christianity in Today’s China (RCTC) is an English language e-journal initiated by the China-Zentrum in 2011. It is published with 4 issues a year and is freely available on our website. RCTC provides our readers with information and analyses covering various aspects of religions and Christianity in China. In addition to major articles on changing topics, each issue contains the chronicle “News Update on Religion and Church in China” to keep our readers informed on current events.
Government / Politics / Foreign Affairs
What Will China Learn From the Iran War? (June 16, 2026, Foreign Policy – China Brief)
The Iran war may be nearing its end, after almost four months. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran had reached a deal to end the conflict and that the Strait of Hormuz would soon reopen, though details remain scarce. Assuming—perhaps optimistically—that the war is winding down, how is Beijing likely to react?
Taiwan Says Chinese Pressure Over the Island Is the ‘New Normal’ (June 17, 2026, NPR News)
China has long tried to limit Taiwan’s representation in international bodies, including the World Health Organization and its governing body, the World Health Assembly. At the Olympic Games, Taiwan is forced to participate under the name “Chinese Taipei” due to Beijing’s pressure. Lin said China is increasingly pressuring other countries to exclude Taiwan, especially when it comes to developing and emerging economies that are under Beijing’s economic sway.
In China, Christianity Is Treated as a Cult (June 19, 2026, The Diplomat)
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has decided some fundamental tenets of Christianity mark the world’s largest faith as a cult, and one that needs vigorous suppression. That includes sentencing a 77-year old man to jail, in part, for helping young Christians find spouses and believing that faith in Jesus gets people into heaven. According to the CCP, these were the “heretical” activities of a “cult”.
Nie Huihua on the Non-Westernness of Chinese Government and the Challenge to Innovation (June 22, 2026, South China Morning Post)
Nie Huihua, a professor of economics at Renmin University, discusses how an effective understanding of China’s development requires a shift from Western-centric frameworks to an integrated perspective that recognizes how formal institutions, informal grass-roots mechanisms and cultural collectivism couple to create a self-consistent and adaptive governance system.
Religion
China Detains Two Leaders of Influential Underground Church (June 15, 2026, BBC)
An influential Protestant church in China has said two of its leaders were detained after more than dozens of congregants, including children, were rounded up for interrogation. They were midway through Sunday service in the south-western city of Jiangyou, when armed police officers stormed the room they were in, Early Rain Covenant said in a statement on Monday. Founded in 2008 in Chengdu city, the church has long been on the Chinese Communist Party’s radar given how religion is tightly controlled in the region.
All Wrapped Up (June 17, 2026, ChinaSource)
There are times when we feel like we are swimming against the tide in dark and deep waters. As we traverse the seasons God has given us, it is a freeing and powerful thing to be wrapped in the Shepherd’s arms and carried close to his heart through the Holy Spirit and by means of scores—even hundreds—of brothers and sisters like my friend Mark.
The Church in China: Learning to Fly in a Birdcage (June 18, 2026, Desiring God)
The story of the church in China, then, is more than a story of persecution or a shrinking birdcage. It is a story of faithful living in a hostile environment. The birdcage may be shrinking, but the life of faith inside it is still real, active, and full of witness. God remains faithful!
Fuyang: Challenges and Struggles (June 18, 2026, China Partnership)
Fuyang church leaders share about the struggles they and their churches are facing in this season. They say persecution has brought intense challenges over the last years, and that evangelism and discipleship are much harder than they used to be. It’s especially difficult for families seeking to give their children a Christian education, as that seems to be the center of many of the attacks. But although there are difficulties, leaders also said they see Christians persevering and having sweet personal relationships with God and one another in the midst of challenges.
WEA Secretary General Botrus Mansour: Chinese Christians Have a Major Place at the Table (June 21, 2026, China Christian Daily)
Founded in London in 1846, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is one of the broadest global evangelical networks, representing more than 650 million evangelicals through national and regional alliances, affiliated organizations, and church networks in more than 160 countries. From July 20 to 24, 2024, a delegation from the WEA and the WCA visited China—the WEA’s first publicly reported visit to the country since 2017. According to the WEA, the visit was organized by Rev. Ezekiel Tan, the WEA’s Special Envoy to China and Chinese territories, to learn about the state of Christianity in China and to rekindle ties with the CCC and TSPM.
A Divine Displacement (June 23, 2026, ChinaSource)
Working with diaspora Chinese over the last four years has taught us that their presence in Europe is not merely a byproduct of economic globalization. It is, in fact, a “Divine Displacement.” Like the scattering of the early church in Acts 8:4, God is using migration to plant the seeds of a new reformation in a continent missiologists have previously described as “post-Christian.”
Society / Life
A Privet Matter: Why a Farmer Hacked Down China’s ‘Lonely’ Tree (June 19, 2026, Sixth Tone)
It began with a viral video filmed using a drone. The camera sweeps over vast, golden wheatfields, the surrounding peaks shifting like ocean waves, before settling on a single glossy privet, the only tree for acres around. Within days of the video being released on Chinese social media in March, a once-quiet corner of China’s northwestern Shaanxi province suddenly became a hot destination, with tourists, vloggers, and influencers flocking to capture this tall, “lonely” tree at the foot of the Qinling Mountains. Then, one day, Liang Yali grabbed an axe and hacked it to bits.
How ‘Lying Flat’ Went from a Niche Subculture to Mainstream Phenomenon (June 20, 2026, South China Morning Post) “Lying flat” became a buzzword on Chinese social media around 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, the phrase was usually applied to people who had completely dropped out of the rat race, choosing to survive on odd jobs. But now, it applies to a broader cross-section of society – from successful professionals and middle-aged entrepreneurs to risk-averse officials – as they avoid extra work to survive an era of intense competition with diminishing returns.
Becoming a “Fangirl” of History (June 22, 2026, The World of Chinese)
Visiting the graves of prominent historical figures and leaving creative offerings has become a recent trend among young Chinese, reflecting a renewed interest in history. Popular sites include the tomb of the warlord Cao Cao (曹操), who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty (25 – 220), and that of the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) poet Li Bai (李白), where admirers have left items such as painkillers for Cao’s migraines and liquor for Li’s poetic inspiration. But among these visitors, a special group of enthusiasts, dubbed shitongnü (史同女), or “history fangirls,” myself included, is doing more than paying respect.
Education
Podcast – What is ‘GaoKao’ (June 19, 2026, CNN)
In China, the college entry exam, called “gaokao,” pushes millions of students to the limit, but with a brutal jobs market, is it still worth it? Our hosts unpack the pressure of the admissions test—billed as “the world’s toughest” by Chinese state media—as enrollment falls.
Economics / Trade / Business
China’s MCN Crackdown Is a Reminder of How Embedded Influencers Are In China (June 17, 2026, Chinaskinny)
For many foreign brands, China’s MCN ecosystem can feel like a confusing layer of agencies, influencers, livestreamers, KOCs, platform reps and data dashboards. Alongside the rise of KOLs, MCNs have grown from a niche cottage industry into a sprawling ecosystem numbering tens of thousands. In simple terms, MCNs, or multi-channel networks, are the companies that sit between brands, creators, and platforms. They recruit and manage influencers, produce content, negotiate campaigns, run livestream rooms, distribute posts across platforms, and often report back on your performance.
Travel / Food
Visiting the Shantou Attractions Featured in the Movie “Dear You” (May 23, 2026, Our China Story)
Recently, the movie Dear You, produced by a Shenzhen team, has become a surprise hit on the Chinese mainland. Set in Chaoshan and filmed largely in Shantou, its moving story has also turned the city into a nostalgic destination for many moviegoers. Today, let us follow in Grandma’s footsteps and explore the real-life locations that bring the film’s Chaoshan charm to life.
Quack Like a Goose: Why Beijing Street Vendor “Auntie Goose Legs” Sparked a Nationwide Debate (June 20, 2026, What’s On Weibo)
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it might still be a goose—or the other way around. That, at least, is the takeaway from two stories that recently went viral on Chinese social media. The woman at the center of it all is Beijing street-food vendor Chen Xiufeng (陈秀凤), better known as “Auntie Goose Legs” (鹅腿阿姨). Over the years, she became something of a local celebrity in Beijing’s university district. Originally from Jiangsu, the migrant vendor had been selling her famous roasted goose legs to students since 2011. She skyrocketed to national fame in 2023 , but became the target of widespread criticism last week after it was revealed that her celebrated goose legs—sold for 16 yuan ($2.20) per piece—were actually duck meat all along.
Deep in the Mountains of Yunnan, China’s Best Ham Stays Hidden (June 22, 2026, Sixth Tone)
In the early autumn of 2023, I traveled to Southwest China’s Yunnan province— neither for the legendary Shangri-la nor the laid-back Dali—but for a type of ham that had until recently been clouded in obscurity.
Arts / Entertainment / Media
Aspiration, Imagination, and Praxis: Artists Reconstructing the Leftist Political Imaginary (June 23, 2026, Made In China Journal)
What does it mean for art to function simultaneously as aesthetic expression and social intervention? This is the question that lies at the heart of this essay, which examines art activities conducted by critically minded individuals who seek to push the boundary between art and activism. Drawing on the experience of a Chinese artist under the pseudonym ‘A’, I examine how art activities generate new forms of political imagination through which leftist artists seek to reconstruct their political vision in this uncertain time.
Books
From Receiving Care to Building Care: A Book Review of Global Member Care (June 19, 2026, ChinaSource)
Global Member Care: Stories and Strategies for Staying the Course (William Carey Publishing, 2024) is the third volume of Global Member Care series edited by Kelly and Michele O’Donnell. It is a good resource for anyone who is curious about what is going on in the field of member care and how much it has matured. It explores the expansion of what is involved in missions and member care, member care in different regions and different sectors, and staying the course in good practice.
China, America, Engineers, and Lawyers (June 22, 2026, ChinaSource)
During my time in China, my mother visited me 11 times (the last two times being for her 80th and 85th birthdays, respectively). On one visit, as I was helping her navigate an uneven Beijing sidewalk littered with obstacles—mostly bicycles—she asked me, “Why are Chinese sidewalks so dangerous?” My response: “Not enough lawyers.” I reminded her that in the US, lawyers push city planners and builders to focus on safety. I thought about that a lot while reading this book. On Wednesday, August 5, ERRChina will host a Book Club Discussion online. I will be the moderator. The book we have chosen is Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan Wang.
History / Culture
Rethinking Comrade and Foreigner (June 17, 2026, Made In China Journal)
The figure of Joan Hinton has long circulated in both Chinese and American political imaginations. Yet existing narratives—whether shaped by Cold War anticommunism, People’s Republic of China (PRC) state propaganda, or even major scholarly works—have tended to frame her life through a simple binary: that she ‘abandoned America’ and was fully embraced by ‘Red China.’ This essay challenges that storyline. It argues that, from the outset, Joan Hinton’s political identity within the PRC was structured by a fundamental duality: she was celebrated as an internationalist comrade while simultaneously governed as a foreign subject.
Science / Technology
The Race Nobody Wins (June 18, 2026, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations)
As AI technologies become increasingly sophisticated, the United States and China are vying to win this technology competition. Both countries have different approaches and strengths in their development, deployment, and regulation of AI—the United States is recognized as leading in advanced AI development and China in industrial AI integration. Although perceptions of AI differ between people, companies, and the government in the United States and China, a shared anxiety exists among both populations over the effects this technology will have on their lives.
Events
Online Book Club Discussion (ERRChina)
Join us for a discussion of the book Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan Wang. Now is a great time to purchase the book and start reading in order to be ready for a lively and vibrant discussion.
Date: August 5, 2026
Time: 5pm PST / 6pm MST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST (US)
Platform: Zoom
Register here.
Asia Member Care Network Conference (Barnabas International)
The Asia Member Care Network is a loose network of people working in Asia as Care Providers for those in non-government and humanitarian organizations. Membership is by participation in the bi-annual conference as well as country-specific meetings. Members agree and sign the network Code of Conduct and the Best Practice document.
April 12-16, 2027
Penang, Malaysia
Registration will launch in October, 2026
Go here for more information.
Pray for China
June 26 (Pray For China: A Walk Through History)
On June 26, 2003, the sanctuary of the unregistered Tudusha Church (凸渡沙教会) in Xiaoshan, Zhejiang, was demolished. Xiaoshan is an area with a rich Christian heritage traced to Hudson Taylor (戴德生) and Ni Tuosheng (倪柝声弟兄-Watchman Nee). The sanctuary was rebuilt in 2005 in a non-descript architectural style. Pray for Christian leaders to have wisdom in dealing with government officials. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
Prayer 2026: Off the Beaten Path (January 1, 2026, China Partnership)
Operation World (April 21, 2025, ChinaSource)
Pray for China (prayforchina.us)
Prayer Walking as a Rhythm of Life (May 30, 2025, ChinaSource)