About China Voices
Welcome to China Voices, a CSW quarterly update on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in China. All cases cited have either been published publicly or reported through CSW sources. For feedback or for further information, please contact .
Overview
4 June 2025 marked the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, also known as the “June Fourth” incident. The anniversary has dominated online discourse and media coverage during this quarter, highlighting the enduring sensitivity and historical weight of the event. On 29 May 2025, the Tiananmen Mothers group published an open statement calling the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to acknowledge responsibility and address the legacy of the massacre through legal and judicial measures.
While the CCP has made strong commitments to constitutional governance and the rule of law on paper, the reality is starkly different. A recent blog by CSW highlights the complexity and ambiguity of China’s criminal justice system, which allows for broad interpretation of laws and enables the authorities to arbitrarily fabricate charges, prolong detention and delay trials.
This can be seen in the case of preacher Xu Feng of Harbin Maizi Music School. Xu was charged with illegal business operations for music training but his case was classified as being under “special circumstances”, so that the case could be reported to the Supreme Court for an extension to the detention period with no specified time limit.
Safeguard Defenders’s reasearch published on 25 March 2025 also found that the China’s justice system has grown more opaque in 2024.
The domestic manipulation of the rule of law is also reflected in the CCP’s broader efforts to assert control on the global stage, by posing a diplomatic challenge to the Vatican when they unilaterally ‘elected’ two bishops on 28 and 29 April 2025. The appointments, particularly that of Father Li Jianlin as bishop of the Diocese of Xinxiang, superseding the Vatican appointed Bishop Joseph Zhang, are especially contentious.
On 8 May 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Tibet which strongly condemned China’s repressive assimilation policies and violations of human rights. It also condemned CCP’s transnational repression practices.
On 14 June 2025, the European External Action Service (EEAS) published a press release following the 40th session EU-China Human Rights Dialogue which took place in Brussels on 13 June. Discussions covered a broad range of topics including fundamental freedoms, labour rights, judicial independence, economic and social rights, and human rights related activities. It also raised a number of emblematic individual cases.
Other news as below.
Part 1 – Law & Policy
New set of religious regulations on foreigners
From 1 May 2025, the regulations, referred to as 38 “Detailed Rules”, which govern how foreign clergy may or may not participate in religious activities in China, took effect. It effectively bans clergy from presiding over religious activities without the invitation of the Chinese government, which some have argued is a “pretext” for arrests.
China introduced measures for rolling out “cyber IDs” to monitor internet users
On 19 May 2025, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) released the measures, marking a step towards more centralised control over how Chinese citizens access the internet. The measures are set to come into effect in mid-July. While registration is currently voluntary, a key concern is whether it will remain so in the future.
Part 2 – Hong Kong and National Security Law
Former student pro-democray activist Joshua Wong charged under security law for a second time
On 6 June 2025, Joshua Wong was charged with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, following his sentencing on 19 November 2024, along with 45 other activists, for subversion. The case was adjourned to August 2025.
Joint Statement from civil society groups condemning the Hong Kong government’s escalating repression of activists in exile
On 7 May 2025, the open statement was published, following a charge made on the father of self-exiled Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok on 2 May. This marked the first prosecution of a family member of an exiled activist. On 8 May, Anna’s father was denied bail on national security grounds.
Part 3 – Sinicisation
Systematic construction of a Christian discourse aligned with Sinicisation
In April 2025, the Vice President of the China Christian Council, the state approved body that oversees Protestant churches, introduced a new book project which is widely seen as the latest step requiring the religious community to align closely with the Party, placing political education and loyalty at the heart of the practice of faith.
Launching the blueprint of “Sinicisation of sacred music of 2025”
On 7 May 2025, the “Two Associations” of Christianity of Beijing City publicly announced their Sacred Music Ministry Blueprint for 2025. It signals an extension of control, from external administration to deeper cultural and spiritual domains.
Part 4 – Religious Communities
Chinese authorities intimidated witnesses from attending trials
Defence lawyer for Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu of Hefei’s Ganquan Church posted his statement on X on 28 May 2025 to inform that all the witnesses were being intimidated and prohibited from attending the trial.
This also happened in Pastor Sun Chenghao’s pre-trial conference on 29 April 2025. Sun was charged with “organising others to illegally cross the national border” after his arrest in December 2023.
Henan province implementing a reward-based system to crack down on Christians
On 29 April 2025, China Aid reported that Henan Province, a major centre of Christianity with a large Christian population, recently issued a “Notice on the reward for reporting illegal religious activities” aimed at mobilising the public to comprehensively monitor and suppress religious activities without state authorisation.
Conclusion of the trial of Linfen Golden Lampstand Church
On 14 April 2025, the trial of the ten defendants arrested in August 2021 which included Pastor Wang Xiaoguang and his wife Yang Rongli, who had both previously been incarcerated in 2009, concluded with a public verdict to be announced on a later date. All defendants insisted on pleading not guilty, bravely defended their faith in court.
CCP suppressing anti-communist Buddhists nationwide
A contributor on X informed that from 29 May 2025, CCP started a simultaneous crackdown on temples in multiple cities under the guidance of “Master Di Shen”. The authorities classified Master Di Shen as a “cult” due to his teachings and anti-communism calls.
Part 5 – Tibet & Uyghur
China’s economy runs on Uyghur forced labour
On 29 May 2025, the New York Times published an extensive investigation suggesting that previous reporting on China’s exploitation of the Uyghurs failed to capture the full extent of the practice. The report shows that the problem of forced labour extends well beyond the borders of Xinjiang, and that the “labour transfer scheme” is being used to reshape Uyghur identity through labour.
Book by Erkin Azat, an Uyghur whistleblower of the Uyghur camps
In May 2025, the book was launched, shedding light about the Uyghurs in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. The book detailed the rigged interrogations, the arbitrariness of petty local authorities supported by a ruthless Chinese policy, and the permanent surveillance by anonymous people, ready to denounce any dissenting remarks, religious practices not accepted by the state.
Criminalisation of the culture and music of Uyghur
On 27 May 2025, Safeguard Defenders collated and published the story of Yashar, a Uyghur rapper who was sentenced in June 2024 to three years imprisonment. Yashar was accused of “advocating extremism” and “illegally possessing items that advocate extremism”, crimes listed under Article 120-3 of China’s criminal code. This legislation imposed an unprecedented criminalisation of the religion, culture, and daily life of ethnic minorities in the border regions.
Members of the European Parliament call on Chinese government to release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet
On the occasion of the 11th Panchen Lama’s 36th birthday on 25 April 2025, Members of the European Parliament called on the Chinese government for his release and to disclose his whereabouts since his enforced disappearance on 17 May 1995.
In the meantime, Gyaltsen Norbu, the Panchen Lama appointed by CCP pledges loyalty to CCP during a closed-door meeting with President Xi on 6 June 2025.
Part 4 – Human Right Defenders
2024 Annual Report – intensifying repression and rights violations faced by lawyers
On 28 April 2025, the New York based Committee to Support Chinese Lawyers (CSCL) released their annual report. The report highlights criminal cases as a key battleground for rights violations and outlines several prominent forms of infringements. It also underscores that the independence of the legal profession is under severe threat.
In the summer of 2015, CCP carried out mass arrests of human rights lawyers and activists, in what became known as the “709 crackdown” Ten years on, the repression not only persists but intensifying.
Annual evaluation of law firms used as political tool to suppress human rights lawyers
In May 2025, Beijing Biyi Law Firm failed to pass the annual inspection based on a remark made by an exiled human rights lawyer, Fang Xiangui, who practised under the firm.
Li Guobei, the director of the firm, who represented many sensitive cases in China, severely criticised the Bureau of Justice for their abuse of power. The incident sparked widespread criticism of the authorities’ misuse of other lawyers’ remarks abroad to hold domestic law firms accountable.
Prominant human rights lawyer Lu Siwei sentenced to 11 months in prison for “illegal border crossing”
On 18 April 2025, Lu, who is well known for taking on many politically sensitive cases, was sentenced behind closed doors following his arrest in Laos in July 2023 and forced deportation to China a month later.
Joint statement on the arbitrary detention of journalist, human rights defender Zhang Zhan
On 15 May 2025, the 5th anniversary of Zhang Zan’s arrest., several civil society organisations published a joint statement strongly condemning CCP’s ongoing arbitrary detention of Zhang, and demanding her immediate release.
The statement also highlights that Zhang’s prosecution is being used as a warning to others who might challenge the government’s propaganda machine.