WHILE much of the world welcomed 2026 with cautious optimism, many Christians in China entered the New Year with fear and uncertainty. For Christian communities, particularly independent Protestant churches that operate outside government control, this policy has translated into surveillance, arrests, and the erasure of visible religious symbols. “The message is clear: faith is permitted only when it submits,” Li Wen, a former house-church member who fled China in 2024 and now lives in South-East Asia, said. A researcher for China at Human Rights Watch, Yalkun Uluyol, described the arrests in Chengdu as a grim signal. Yet, for many believers inside China, international concern feels distant.