Members of House Church in Xi’an detained for “cult”
Seven members of a house church in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, have been placed in criminal detention for Article 300.
Pastor Gao Quanfu (⾼全福), Pastor Jiao Yong (焦勇), Pastor Tang Bingyi (唐秉义) and others of the Light of Zion house church were taken by police from their home on May 16 and 17. One preacher, Liu Ce (刘策) was placed under administrative detention for ten days.
It is unclear why the church was accused of cult activities. The church has existed for forty years in Xi’an with members across the country.
It is increasingly evident that Article 300 has been used to target beyond unorthodox religions groups. Authorities also press cult charges against house church leaders who are defiant of religious regulations. Unauthorized gatherings such as sermons and religious festivals are also under the scope of “cult” activities.
Hong Kong activist charged with new national security crime while imprisoned
Joshua Wong, who is serving a four-year sentence for subversion under the Beijing-imposed Hong Kong National Security Law, was additionally charged with colluding with foreign forces on June 6. The charge allegedly stemmed from Wong “colluding” with exiled activist Nathan Law.
Prior to the new charge, Wong was scheduled for release in January 2027. Critics believe that the new charge against him is designed to prolong his stay behind bars.
Buddhist group targeted in police crackdown
A Buddhist group in China is facing crackdown from the government.
Liu Jinling (刘金玲), a follower of “Master Dishen” and a Longkou resident of Shandong Province, was detained on May 29 for “using a cult to undermine implementation of law” (Article 300). She is currently held at the Yantai Detention Center.
The group, led by “Master Dishen” (谛深大师), started around 2000 and reportedly operates many meditation centers in Mainland China and Taiwan. The group also claims that numerous Buddhist temples are practicing and propagating his teachings. Unlike other unorthodox Buddhist groups, Dishen does not proclaim himself to be a reincarnation of a buddha. Neither do his teachings form a new school.
Little is known about the background of Master Dishen. It is only reported that his surname is Lü (吕) and he was born in Liaoning Province in 1963. It is not clear when and where he became a monk. Dishen is said to be currently residing overseas and continues his teaching on a YouTube channel.
Dishen is critical of other unorthodox religions in China, including Falun Gong (FLG). In a 2003 blog post, he called out FLG as a fraud and its practitioners ignorant of true Buddhist teachings.
In recent years, Dishen has also been critical of the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China (CCP). In one of his YouTube videos, he claims that CCP is annihilating Buddhism in China which will lead to unimaginable catastrophes.
It is unclear when the government started branding Dishen’s teaching as a cult. According to reports, police raided meditation centers in several cities, including Beijing, Qingdao, and Dalian on May 29. Partitioners, including visitors from Taiwan, were rounded up and coerced into signing letters of repentance.
Two elderly FLG practitioners received sentence reductions in Liaoning
Two elderly women have received clemency when imprisoned for Article 300 at the Liaoning Provincial Women’s Prison. Both are FLG practitioners.
In her mid-sixties, Xu Xiuyun (许秀云) of Fushun likely received a four-month sentence reduction in 2025. She was sentenced to six years in prison in 2020 for distributing pamphlets of FLG teachings. Her sentence should have expired in May 2025 following the reduction. Xu has previously served a 13-year sentence from 2002 to 2015 for the same crime.
Sun Jiping (孙继萍) of Jinzhou is in her early seventies and received an eight-month sentence reduction in 2025. Sun and her husband were both sentenced to five years in 2021 for Article 300. The elderly couple have practiced FLG for a long time and had previously been sentenced to Reeducation Through Labor in 2000 and 2004. Her sentence should have expired in May 2025 after the reduction.