China intensifies crackdown on Christianity with cult labeling and new state‑approved doctrine

Chinese authorities have escalated their suppression of Christian groups. A court in Zengdu sentenced Pastor Yang Zhijin and 30 members of the Full Range house‑church network to prison, labeling their activities – such as matchmaking for youth and basic Christian teachings – as cult offenses under the CCP’s “cult” law. The sentencing reflects the government's broader effort to control religious practice and curb perceived political dissent.

In parallel, the state‑run Three‑Self Patriotic Movement and the China Christian Council convened in Shanxi to draft two authoritative texts – “Questions and Answers on the Sinicization of Christianity” and a “Reader on the Sinicization of Christianity.” These publications are intended to reshape Protestant teaching to align with Party ideology, embedding political vocabulary and Chinese cultural themes into Christian doctrine while omitting direct references to the Gospel.

Both developments illustrate the Chinese Communist Party’s strategy of redefining Christianity as a politically dangerous cult and simultaneously reshaping it through state‑approved catechisms, tightening control over religious expression nationwide.