Two Christian relief organizations are raising concerns over the growing use of technology to monitor and control the religious practices of Christians in China. Surveillance systems are being increasingly deployed to track individuals, especially those associated with unregistered churches, making it harder for believers to freely practice their faith without facing state intervention, according to International Christian Concern (ICC) and Global Christian Relief (GCR).
The 2025 Global Persecution Index released by ICC provides an in-depth analysis of the driving factors behind Christian persecution in 20 countries. ICC categorizes nations into three regions: severe persecution (red), moderate persecution (orange), and mild persecution (yellow). China is classified in the orange region, where local authorities, nationalistic groups, and the government severely oppress Christians’ rights.
The report highlights the forms of persecution faced by Chinese Christians, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) frequently closing church buildings, imprisoning pastors, and monitoring believers. It identifies five key forms of persecution in China: blasphemy and anti-conversion laws, politics, education, arrests and imprisonment, and surveillance.
While China does not have a specific blasphemy law, it regulates conversion through provisions in the broad 2017 Religious Affairs Regulations, which restrict proselytization in schools and through charity work. Though the legal framework may only lightly address conversion, the government’s routine use of violence against independent religious groups serves as a powerful deterrent for those considering joining them.
Another critical form of persecution is surveillance. The report emphasizes that China has been a global leader in the surveillance of its citizens, utilizing an extensive network of monitoring systems to control and track individuals the state deems a threat. This includes those connected to unregistered house churches and anyone practicing religion outside state-sanctioned institutions.
Furthermore, China has topped the Global Christian Relief (GCR) Red List in the arrests category. Between November 2022 and 2024, Chinese authorities arrested or sentenced at least 1,559 Christians, primarily from unregistered churches. This wave of arrests is largely attributed to China’s advanced surveillance systems which enable the CCP to keep tight control over citizens.
The GCR Red List is a new annual report that outlines the 25 worst countries for Christian persecution from 2022 to 2024, measuring five categories: killings, building attacks, arrests, displacements, and abductions & assaults.
The data for this report is sourced directly from the Violent Incidents Database, launched by Global Christian Relief in partnership with the International Institute for Religious Freedom. It is a collection of verified records of global religious persecution events, tracking over 6,000 incidents starting from 2022.
