In June 2025, a court in Shanxi province sentenced Yang Rongli, leader of the Golden Lampstand house church, to 15 years in prison on charges of fraud related to collecting offerings from her congregation. Chinese prosecutors argued that the funds, traditionally given voluntarily as a form of support in religious communities, were obtained through deceptive means. However, supporters contend that the congregation was fully aware of and consenting to the church's financial practices.
This case is part of a broader campaign by Beijing targeting independent religious groups by applying financial crime charges to routine religious activities. Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu’s Early Rain Covenant Church, for example, received a nine-year sentence in 2019 for “illegal business operations” connected to the printing of Christian literature. Such prosecutions effectively reframe religious practices as financial misconduct, providing a legal pretext for suppressing unregistered religious organizations.
Gao Quanfu and his wife, Pang Yu, leaders of the Light of Zion Church in Xi’an, now face similar charges. Both in their late 60s, Gao and Pang have overseen their church’s operations for nearly 40 years, with financial matters managed by a designated team and church elders to ensure transparency. Gao received a fixed salary while his wife volunteered her time. Despite this, police detained Gao in May 2025 and later arrested Pang. Initially charged with “using superstition to undermine the implementation of the law,” authorities have since reclassified the case as fraud, seeking prison terms of 12 to 13 years.
Legal analysts suggest that shifting charges from explicitly religious accusations to financial crimes aims to obscure the true motive—religious repression—and portray the government’s actions as routine law enforcement. Gao’s family argues that their refusal to submit to Communist Party control of the church has made them targets, with financial records serving as a convenient basis for prosecution.
Beyond religious institutions, foreign businesses in China have also faced increased scrutiny under similar legal frameworks. In 2023, Chinese authorities detained five employees of Mintz Group, a U.S.-based due diligence firm, on allegations mirroring those levied against religious leaders, accusing the company of unlawful business operations. The firm was later fined $1.5 million for unapproved statistical activities. Additionally, a managing director from Wells Fargo was barred from leaving China amid undisclosed criminal proceedings until U.S. diplomatic intervention secured her release.
Observers note that these tactics mark a departure from prior risks faced by foreign companies, which mainly dealt with intellectual property theft and forced joint ventures. The unpredictable legal environment in China, where standard business practices can be reframed as criminal acts, poses an unquantifiable risk for investors and multinational corporations. Experts warn that as the Chinese economy slows and its leadership intensifies political control, the use of financial laws to stifle dissent or enforce compliance may expand.
Calls have been made for dialogue emphasizing the rule of law in future negotiations between China and other global powers, highlighting that transparency and consistency in legal enforcement are crucial to maintaining foreign investment. Human rights activists continue to raise concerns about suppression of religious freedom and the intertwining of legal and political motives in the country’s crackdown on both civil society and foreign business operations.
Gao Quanfu, a former U.S. finance professional turned advocate for religious freedom, underscores the broader implications of these developments, cautioning that the Chinese government’s growing use of financial crime allegations against Christian leaders serves as a warning for all companies operating in the country. The evolving environment signals heightened risks as Beijing leverages legal instruments to consolidate control across multiple sectors.