Chinese authorities encourage citizens to report religious gatherings

In the name of pandemic prevention, the authorities in China’s Hebei province are encouraging citizens in Xingtai city to report any religious activities in exchange for a monetary reward.
According to a document shared by Father Francis Liu from the Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness, given that the leadership in the government has delivered a directive to ban both “religious venues” and “religious gatherings” for disease prevention, the United Front Department of Xingtai city, together with local Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, decided to implement a tip-off system with rewards beginning on the 9th of January.
The notice encourages members of society to report any religious venue that is operating or holding religious activities. Once the information is verified, the informant can receive a reward of RMB 500 (USD $77) or more.
In July 2019, the same authorities already asked people to report religious buildings and activities not approved by the state. Although in its notice it did not specify which religion, house churches fell into this category and were targeted by the government.
Source and image: persecution.org