China: Regime Abducts Dozens of Underground Church Pastors in Crackdown

Source: US News & World Report

“Police in China detained dozens of pastors of one of its largest underground churches over the weekend, a church spokesperson and relatives said, in the biggest crackdown on Christians since 2018. The detentions, which come amid renewed China-U.S. tensions after Beijing dramatically expanded rare earth export controls last week, drew condemnation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called on Sunday for the pastors’ immediate release. … The crackdown comes a month after new rules from China’s top religion regulator banned unauthorised online preaching or religious training by clergy, as well as ‘foreign collusion.'” (10/13/25)

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-10-13/china-detains-dozens-of-underground-church-pastors-in-crackdown