"For a long time, teenagers and students have not been allowed to participate in religious activities," a local Christian surnamed Zhang told persecution watchdog China Aid, referencing a Chinese law that seeks to control religion among children by forbidding them from attending religious events.

"However, the Three-Self Churches and house churches would usually hold summer camps during the summer vacation. The government then emphasized ... that even the Sunday schools would be closed down. The government's major intention is to shut down the Sunday schools."

A short time earlier, the Henan Provincial Three-Self Patriotic Committee and the Henan Provincial China Christian Council handed down an order preventing churches from organizing summer camps for minors and students, citing "high temperatures" as a possible health hazard.

A Christian from Henan said that such camps have typically been allowed in previous summers, and the government would originally only interfere if they received a tip-off about the event.

"The government is trying to control ideology," Zhang told the outlet. "During [Chinese Presidents] Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao's time, the government was tolerant toward preaching and missionary work. After Xi Jinping came into power, the government's grip on religion has strengthened."

China is ranked 39th on Open Door USA's World Watch List of 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Over the past year, President Xi Jinping has directed the party to "Sinicize"—or bring under Chinese tradition—the country's ethnic and religious minorities in efforts to counter religious "extremism".

Authorities believe Christianity, whose followers are said to rival in number the 85 million members of the Communist Party, "poses a major threat" to its long-term stability.

As earlier reported, Chinese officials previously warned Christian parents that if they continue to...

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