ICC Note: Ji Qingcao, Ji Qingcou, Ou Jinsi, Mei Xueshun, and He Lijing, members of Yazhong Church, were arrested last April. These five Christian men were imprisoned on the charges of “obstructing government administration” and “disturbing public order.”  However, the reason for their conflict with the authorities is due to protesting a planned demolition of Guankou Church. There is speculation that the release of these Christian men has to do with the upcoming G20 summit where many U.S. leaders may urge Chinese leaders to release those imprisoned and end persecution against Christians across the country. 

08/31/2016 China (China Aid News): Five Christian detainees in China’s coastal Zhejiang were suddenly released on Aug. 28 after four months in prison. Local sources believe the release came because of a government order in preparation for the upcoming G20 summit meeting in Hangzhou.

Ji Qingcao, Ji Qingcou, Ou Jinsi, Mei Xueshun, and He Lijing are members of Yazhong Church who were arrested last April on the charges of “obstructing government administration” and “disturbing public order.”

Beginning on Sept. 25, 2015, a group of people, including the five prisoners, came into conflict with authorities while protesting a planned demolition of Guankou Church. Over the next year, many of those involved in the protests were detained or arrested for various reasons, of which the April arrests were the latest.

“A few days ago, I’d heard that [the five Christians] had been released in the past few days,” a Wenzhou Christian told China Aid’s reporter. “I feel like the government is trying to pacify the people before the summit meeting. Since the summit meeting will be held here [on September 4], the government begins to worry that they have detained the Christians for too long. The local government was concerned about petitions organized by the family members, thinking higher officials would pressure them.”

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