US calls for China to release 30 leaders of influential underground church
The U.S. State Department has called for the Chinese government to release the 30 leaders of the influential Zion Church, an underground Christian congregation. Zion Church, founded by pastor Jin Mingri in 2007, is one of China's largest underground church networks. In September 2018, Chinese authorities ordered the church to close, and in recent weeks, several of its leaders have been detained. The U.S. has condemned the crackdown on religious freedom, stating that the detention of the Zion Church leaders is a violation of the right to freedom of religion. China's government has tightened control over religious groups in recent years, seeking to limit the influence of organizations not under state supervision. The Zion Church case highlights the ongoing tensions between the Chinese government and the growing underground Christian movement in the country.
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