By Li Muzi
Following the arrest of nearly 100 members of a Christian church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang last December, Chinese authorities recently conducted a raid and arrested six members of the Qiuyu Shengyue Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, including the church leader Li Yingqiang, drawing widespread attention.
According to Human Rights Watch, Chinese authorities detained six members of an underground Christian church in Chengdu. This is the latest in a series of arrests targeting well-known unofficial “house churches” in China since last year.
On Jan. 6, the Qiuyu Shengyue Church posted on social media that police raided the residence of current church leader Li Yingqiang in Deyang and took him away, while several core church members were also detained.
The reports state that the Chinese government should immediately release individuals arrested for their religious beliefs and activities, which are protected under international human rights law. Until their release, authorities should provide detainees’ families with information and ensure detainees can meet with lawyers of their own choosing.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
The reports also indicate that weeks before the crackdown on Qiuyu Shengyue Church, authorities arrested nearly 100 members of another underground church, the Yayáng Church, in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, between December 13–18, 2025. At least 20 members remain in detention. According to the U.S.-based China Aid Association, local authorities sent hundreds of armed police to surround Yayáng Church on January 5, along with bulldozers and other equipment, possibly to demolish part or all of the church buildings.
The Chinese government has long targeted the Qiuyu Shengyue Church, founded in 2008. In December 2018, Chengdu police detained over 100 worshippers. In 2019, the church founder, Pastor Wang Yi, was sentenced to nine years for “inciting to subvert state power” and “illegal business operations,” while elder Qin Defu received a four-year sentence for “illegal business operations.” Current leader Li Yingqiang and three others were briefly detained in September 2024 for suspected “illegal activities.”
Authorities launch a nationwide crackdown
Reports also indicate that in October 2025, authorities launched a nationwide crackdown, arresting nearly 30 pastors, preachers, and members of the Zion Church across seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang. Those arrested included founding pastor Jin Mingri. In mid-2025, a Chinese court convicted 12 members of the underground Jindengtang Church in Linfen, Shanxi of fraud.
Reuters reported that according to statements from Qiuyu Shengyue Church and NGOs, six church members, including elder Li Yingqiang, were detained by police. This is part of China’s large-scale detention campaign against underground church members in recent months. The reasons for their detention and whether they have been formally charged remain unknown.
Qiuyu Shengyue Church is an unofficial house church in Chengdu with over 500 members. Reports note that in recent years, the Chinese government has tightened control over all religions, increasing restrictions on unregistered religious organizations and making fundraising, online preaching, and in-person meetings more difficult.
“Chinese authorities have once again arrested underground Christian church members at the start of the new year,” said Yaqin Wuluyaule, China researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Chinese government should immediately release the detainees and allow them to freely engage in religious activities.”
“The Xi Jinping administration continues to tighten ideological control and crack down on those loyal to authorities outside the Communist Party,” Wuluyaule added. “Governments and religious leaders worldwide should pressure China to release detained religious believers and respect religious freedom.”
On January 6, Human Rights in China also posted on X, stating that since last year—especially after Xi Jinping reiterated “Sinicization of religion” on September 29, 2025—the Chinese regime has conducted multiple large-scale raids on house churches. Human Rights in China strongly condemns these violations of religious freedom and demands the immediate, unconditional release of all innocent believers involved, fully upholding constitutional protections for religious freedom.
