WASHINGTON Oct 6 — In March, authorities in China’s Anhui province ordered the removal of crosses from a church in Yongqing, citing unspecified "safety” hazards, despite the fact that the crosses had been safely in place for years.

According to a report in British newspaper The Telegraph, US-based group ChinaAid claimed the order was legally baseless and may have stemmed from higher authorities.

This incident was highlighted in a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which accused China of tightening control over religion, particularly Catholic and Protestant Christianity, by removing crosses, replacing religious imagery with political ones, and censoring religious texts.

The report noted examples of churches replacing images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary with pictures of President Xi Jinping. Some churches were even forced to display Chinese Communist Party (CCP) slogans and teach party ideology during services, replacing traditional religious teachings.

Under Xi’s leadership, China has intensified efforts to "sinicise” religion, pushing for religious organizations to align with CCP values. This crackdown has affected Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Taoists, with many religious elements being purged for not aligning with the state’s agenda.

Restrictions on religious practice have worsened since 2018, as revised regulations on religious affairs imposed stricter government control. This has particularly affected informal "house churches” that are not sanctioned by the state, leading to increased surveillance, closures, and arrests of religious leaders.

Christians in China have reported heightened surveillance, with commercial landlords refusing to rent space to unsanctioned churches under pressure from authorities. Children are also strictly banned from participating in religious education, with the state aggressively enforcing these rules.

Some Christians, like factory owner Wu Lixin, have fled China due to harassment from authorities. Wu recounted being summoned for police questioning and facing frequent raids on religious gatherings. His son even faced workplace discrimination due to their beliefs.

Police have disrupted numerous church activities, from baptism ceremonies to regular gatherings, and forced Christians to adopt clandestine practices such as meeting in hotels or teahouses. Despite these efforts, many believers have been forced to stop practicing or flee the country.

Church leaders and members are regularly monitored and harassed, with police cutting power to gatherings and terminating rental contracts. Parents in particular face difficulty as they are banned from teaching their faith to their children.

The Chinese government has denied the allegations, claiming the USCIRF report distorts facts and that the country protects freedom of religion. China insists its religious policies are lawful and guarantee religious freedom for all citizens.