{"id":40272,"date":"2022-01-11T13:34:30","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T04:34:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=40272"},"modified":"2022-01-11T15:31:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T06:31:07","slug":"vomk-report-186","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/01\/11\/vomk-report-186\/","title":{"rendered":"UNDER GUISE OF BANNING FOREIGN INFLUENCE, CHINA RESTRICTS RELIGIOUS INTERNET CONTENT"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”40284″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”China\u2019s state-owned Global Times last month announced a new government ban to go into effect March 1 on the operation of \u201conline religious information services\u201d by \u201coverseas organizations\u201d, but according to Christian persecution watchdog agency Voice of the Martyrs Korea, the text of the new regulations reveals a different target: a major new crackdown on all online activity by Chinese underground Christians.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>The regulations,\u00a0<\/span>collectively referred to as \u2018<\/span>Measures on the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services<\/span>\u2019<\/span>, consist of\u00a0<\/span>36 articles\u00a0<\/span>to be enforced by\u00a0<\/span>five different government agencies<\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span>in all the articles\u00a0<\/span>there are only two\u00a0<\/span>minor\u00a0<\/span>references to\u00a0<\/span>foreign\u00a0<\/span>organizations,\u201d says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Hyun Sook Foley. \u201c<\/span>The focus of these regulations is clearly not\u00a0<\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>foreign organizations<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>but instead\u00a0<\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>giving the\u00a0<\/span>Communist Party\u00a0<\/span>absolute\u00a0<\/span>control\u00a0<\/span>over<\/span>\u00a0religion\u00a0<\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>the Internet<\/span>\u00a0in China<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to\u00a0<\/span>Representative<\/span>\u00a0Foley, the\u00a0<\/span>new regulations\u00a0<\/span>carry forward themes common to previous religious crackdowns of unregistered religious groups under Xi Jinping.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThere\u2019s very much a \u2018whoever is not for us is against us\u2019 mentality,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cMeaning,\u00a0<\/span>even though\u00a0<\/span>the regulations are dealing with\u00a0<\/span>religious\u00a0<\/span>Internet\u00a0<\/span>content,\u00a0<\/span>if\u00a0<\/span>that content\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>actively\u00a0<\/span>promote the Communist Party<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>if\u00a0<\/span>it is not licensed by the Communist Party<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>then it is considered\u00a0<\/span>\u2018subversive\u2019, \u2018extremist\u2019, \u2018fanatical\u2019,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018cultish\u2019, \u2018superstitious\u2019, \u2018undermining socialism\u2019<\/span>\u2014in fact, I\u2019m quoting these words from\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Article<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a014\u00a0<\/span>and 15<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of the\u00a0<\/span>new r<\/span>egulations.<\/span>\u00a0The idea is: All religions must unite behind the Party<\/span>\u00a0and its interests<\/span>, and if they don\u2019t,<\/span>\u00a0it may be due to\u00a0<\/span>\u2018<\/span>foreign influence<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0or to\u00a0<\/span>\u2018terrorism\u2019 or \u2018trickery\u2019\u2014all these are mentioned in the Articles\u2014and it thus must be banned and punished.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”40280″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The official Chinese government website which details the 36 articles found in the Measures on the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative\u00a0<\/span>Foley points to Article 3 of the new regulations for a summary<\/span>\u00a0as found on\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>official<\/span> Chinese government\u00a0<\/span>website<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>. Article 3 reads:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Those engaged in Internet Religious Information Services shall abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations and rules; practice the core socialist values; adhere to the nation’s principle of religious independence and self-government, persist in the nation’s orientation toward the\u00a0<\/span>sinification<\/span>\u00a0of religion, actively bring about the adaptation of religion to socialist society; and preserve religious tranquility and\u00a0<\/span>acquiesence<\/span>, social harmony, and ethnic concordance.<\/span>\u201d<\/span> (<\/span>N<\/span>onpartisan\u00a0<\/span><\/span>China Law Translate<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0service\u00a0<\/span>posted the\u00a0<\/span>English\u00a0<\/span>translation of this<\/span>\u00a0article<\/span>)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]But Representative Foley says that the\u00a0<\/span>parts of the new regulations\u00a0<\/span>that concern her Voice of the Martyrs Korea group the most are\u00a0<\/span>the small details. \u201cWe should ask, \u2018What is really going to change when these new regulations go into effect on March 1?\u2019 After all,\u00a0<\/span>the Communist Party has been\u00a0<\/span>blocking independent Christian websites and other religious content on the Internet for\u00a0<\/span>some time.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>But there are new aspects to these regulations, like Article 20, which says, \u2018<\/span>Those providing internet religious information broadcast platform services shall sign agreements with the platform’s registered users<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and verify users’ real identity information.<\/span>\u2019\u00a0<\/span>If\u00a0<\/span>religious\u00a0<\/span>websites have to collect and verify the names and identities of\u00a0<\/span>everyone visiting their website, then that creates a very easy way for authorities to\u00a0<\/span>figure out who the\u00a0<\/span>supposedly \u2018dangerous\u2019\u00a0<\/span>Christians are.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>That\u2019s exactly what we saw\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>2019 in\u00a0<\/span>the case of the\u00a0<\/span>Xiaomai<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Christian\u00a0<\/span>Bookstore<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>Zhejiang Province<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>According to our sources, a<\/span>uthorities\u00a0<\/span>went through the bookstore\u2019s receipts and put together a list of more than 10,000 customers<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and then they questioned all of those customers on suspicion of having bought a<\/span>\u00a0Christian\u00a0<\/span>book by Pastor Wang Yi<\/span>\u00a0of Early Rain Covenant Church, who\u00a0<\/span>they\u00a0<\/span>had put\u00a0<\/span>in jail<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0If every Christian website has to make a list of everyone who comes to the website,\u00a0<\/span>then whenever the authorities decide that a particular website or preacher is\u00a0<\/span>actually a subversive extremist terrorist, then th<\/span>at gives the authorities\u00a0<\/span>an automatic list of suspects to interrogate.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”40274″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Articles 1-6 of China\u2019s new Internet Religious Information Services law as found on the official Chinese government website.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”40277″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Articles 14-16 of China\u2019s new Internet Religious Information Services law as found on the official Chinese government website.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]But Representative Foley says that she does not detect any fear or concern on the part of Chinese underground Christians\u00a0<\/span>as regards the new regulations. \u201cThey see it as being just like when God hardened Pharoah\u2019s heart<\/span>, and Pharoah made the Israelites produce more bricks with less straw,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cUltimately everything Pharoah does, God uses to bring glory to his name and blessings to his people.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that\u00a0<\/span>Chinese house church network leaders have already found ways around\u00a0<\/span>previous\u00a0<\/span>government bans on\u00a0<\/span>offline and online\u00a0<\/span>meetings<\/span>. \u201cWe support multiple house church networks through our Sunday School in a Box project, for example. That project uses self-contained<\/span>\u00a0video players and teaching resources so that small groups of Christians can meet together to study the Bible thoroughly in three years, even if they can\u2019t read, even if they aren\u2019t ordained or trained.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s a good example of how<\/span>, among underground Chinese Christians,<\/span>\u00a0there has\u00a0<\/span>really been a\u00a0<\/span>return\u00a0<\/span>in the last few years\u00a0<\/span>back\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>small\u00a0<\/span>lay-led\u00a0<\/span>house church meetings.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says those\u00a0<\/span>small house church\u00a0<\/span>meetings are<\/span>\u00a0grounds for hope, even amidst the impending March 1 crackdown. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be plugged into the Internet<\/span>\u00a0or gathered together in a church building to worship the Lord. Wherever the word of God is proclaimed and heard by\u00a0<\/span>even\u00a0<\/span>two or three people gathered together in Christ\u2019s name<\/span>\u2014there the church is, and Christ has promised that even the gates of hell will not prevail against it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in donating to Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s work in partnership with the house church Christians of China can visit www.vomkorea.com\/en\/donation<\/span><\/a> or give via electronic transfer to:<\/p>\n

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303<\/p>\n

Account Holder: (\uc0ac)\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/p>\n

Please note \u201cChina\u201d on the transfer<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”40284″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”China\u2019s state-owned Global Times last month announced a new government ban to go into effect March 1 on the operation of \u201conline religious information services\u201d by \u201coverseas …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":40285,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40272"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40272\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}