China officially acknowledges clashes with Christians
-04/08/06
China’s official medi
China officially acknowledges clashes with Christians
-04/08/06
China’s official media has confirmed that two people have been arrested after reports that about 3,000 Christians in eastern China’s Zhejiang province clashed with police over the demolition of a church building ñ writes Francis Wong for Ecumenical News International.
The acknowledgement by the Xinhua news agency came after the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said that up to 500 Chinese police clashed with Protestant Christians late last month, when authorities demolished a partially built church building. The centre said the clash left about 20 people hurt, four seriously.
The Christians started construction in the Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou, provincial capital of Zhejiang, in an area where a commercial centre was planned, Xinhua reported.
The agency quoted Qiu Youlai, director of the district works’ office, as saying the construction of building was in violation of a law concerning land management and city planning. Qiu said that two people had been arrested. But the Xinhua report did not elaborate on any number of injuries and how many people were involved in the confrontation.
“The core issue behind the confrontation is that more and more Christians in mainland China prefer to worship in unregistered church communities,” Rose Wu, director of the Hong Kong Christian Institute, told Ecumenical News International. “They prefer church communities which are independent [of the government].”
Many unregistered church communities use members’ homes and other private venues for worship, leading to their description as “house churches”.
Wu noted: “Protestantism is one of the religions recognised by the Chinese government, but why does the government not also recognise the so-called ‘house churches’?”
The 29 July confrontation could be seen in relation to the right of worship and religious liberty in China, she noted. Whether such rights exist in China is doubtful said Wu, whose institute is supported by numerous denominations and which stands also to safeguard human right in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Xinhua reported that China has more than 15 million Christians. In Xiaoshan, it said, the number stands at 80, 000. The news agency said there are more than 25,000 Christian meeting places and 12,000 Christian churches across China.
With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.
Further note from Ekklesia: In China, ëChristiansí usually designates Protestants in official circles. The Xinhua figure of 15 million Christians is therefore for Protestants only, and for registered believers. Independent researchers say that the overall figure is in fact likely to be as high as 50 million. There are additionally estimated to be some 12 million Catholic Christians in China.
[Also relating to China: Archbishop of Canterbury to view Christian growth in China firsthand 02/08/06; Chinese churches face challenges of growth; Support Chinese Christians, British and Irish churches urged; China defends new bishops against Vatican criticism; Hong Kong churches push China on democracy; China and the Vatican relations thaw again; Christian writer calls for universal suffrage in Hong Kong; Vatican attacks state-approved Chinese bishops; Hong Kong churches back democracy call; China urged to give official recognition to Judaism]
China officially acknowledges clashes with Christians
-04/08/06
China’s official media has confirmed that two people have been arrested after reports that about 3,000 Christians in eastern China’s Zhejiang province clashed with police over the demolition of a church building ñ writes Francis Wong for Ecumenical News International.
The acknowledgement by the Xinhua news agency came after the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said that up to 500 Chinese police clashed with Protestant Christians late last month, when authorities demolished a partially built church building. The centre said the clash left about 20 people hurt, four seriously.
The Christians started construction in the Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou, provincial capital of Zhejiang, in an area where a commercial centre was planned, Xinhua reported.
The agency quoted Qiu Youlai, director of the district works’ office, as saying the construction of building was in violation of a law concerning land management and city planning. Qiu said that two people had been arrested. But the Xinhua report did not elaborate on any number of injuries and how many people were involved in the confrontation.
“The core issue behind the confrontation is that more and more Christians in mainland China prefer to worship in unregistered church communities,” Rose Wu, director of the Hong Kong Christian Institute, told Ecumenical News International. “They prefer church communities which are independent [of the government].”
Many unregistered church communities use members’ homes and other private venues for worship, leading to their description as “house churches”.
Wu noted: “Protestantism is one of the religions recognised by the Chinese government, but why does the government not also recognise the so-called ‘house churches’?”
The 29 July confrontation could be seen in relation to the right of worship and religious liberty in China, she noted. Whether such rights exist in China is doubtful said Wu, whose institute is supported by numerous denominations and which stands also to safeguard human right in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Xinhua reported that China has more than 15 million Christians. In Xiaoshan, it said, the number stands at 80, 000. The news agency said there are more than 25,000 Christian meeting places and 12,000 Christian churches across China.
With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.
Further note from Ekklesia: In China, ëChristiansí usually designates Protestants in official circles. The Xinhua figure of 15 million Christians is therefore for Protestants only, and for registered believers. Independent researchers say that the overall figure is in fact likely to be as high as 50 million. There are additionally estimated to be some 12 million Catholic Christians in China.
[Also relating to China: Archbishop of Canterbury to view Christian growth in China firsthand 02/08/06; Chinese churches face challenges of growth; Support Chinese Christians, British and Irish churches urged; China defends new bishops against Vatican criticism; Hong Kong churches push China on democracy; China and the Vatican relations thaw again; Christian writer calls for universal suffrage in Hong Kong; Vatican attacks state-approved Chinese bishops; Hong Kong churches back democracy call; China urged to give official recognition to Judaism]