“A Chinese Christian online bookstore owner, Chen Yu, was charged with ‘illegal business operations’ on September 27. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined 200,000 RMB ($29,450 USD). Chen will also have his iPhone confiscated. Additionally, the 12,864 Christian books from his bookstore will be destroyed by the Linhai City Public Security Bureau. Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, ‘The sentence for Mr. Chen Yu shows how the Chinese government is increasingly frightened by all things religious. From religious symbols, Chinese couplets, to Christian books, anything that features religious elements is no longer tolerated by the Chinese Communist Party. The disproportionate sentencing of Christians, such as Early Rain Covenant Church pastor Wang Yi and Chen Yu, under the same charge implies that the crackdown against Christianity will only intensify. The US government and international community should continue to stand up to the tyranny in Beijing.’”
International Christian Concern, Oct. 1, 2020