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2,500 Christians marched with a cross, sang hymns, and prayed against the antisedition measures.

But one week later, pro-Beijing supporters rallied for national unity. One red banner said: "Why don't you support the law if you are not subverting the country?"

On January 28, Beijing-appointed Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa bowed to public pressure and declared the government has scrapped parts of the proposed anti-subversion bill and amended others. Tung would not answer questions on whether the administration would hold a further round of public consultations.

Christians and others will monitor the legislation. "We need to watch the developments very closely in the next few months," Victor said. "We need to pray for great wisdom for those who are putting those laws together."

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This week, the Associated Press reported that Hong Kong's Catholic leader, Bishop Joseph Zen, fears the proposed law will be used against Hong Kong's Roman Catholic church because of its ties to underground Catholic churches in the mainland.

The 2002 International Religious Freedom Report on China says, "The Government tries to control and regulate religious groups to prevent the rise of groups that could constitute sources of authority outside of the control of the Government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and it cracks down on groups that it perceives to pose a threat. Despite these efforts at government control, membership in many faiths is growing rapidly."

Last year, Tony Carnes wrote a Christianity Today cover story on persecution in China. Articles included:

'New' China: Same Old Tricks | Top communists, despite their denials, endorse arrest and torture of Chinese Christians by the thousands. (Feb. 15, 2002)

The Unlikely Activist | How a bitter athiest helped besieged Christians—and became a believer. (Feb. 15, 2002)

What China's Secret Documents Reveal | The New York archive of religious persecution in China contains numerous government documents that show how the government controls religion. (Feb. 15, 2002)

China Persecution Dossier: Zhang Wu-Ji | Tortured to the point of death. (Feb. 15, 2002)

China Persecution Dossier: Shi Yun-Chao | Beaten for Hosting Bible Studies. (Feb. 15, 2002)

China Persecution Dossier: Gu Xiangmei | Surviving on "tiger's diarrhea." (Feb. 15, 2002)

See Christianity Today'sBearing the Cross article on the persecution of Christians in China.

Previous Christianity Today stories about religion in China and Hong Kong include:

Working with the Communists | Some evangelicals minister happily within China's state-supervised Three Self church. (Oct. 18, 2002)

Bush: 'I'm One of Them' | Religious persecution allegations set the stage for George Bush's visit to China. (Feb. 27, 2002)

What is the Falun Gong? | And why does the Chinese government want to destroy it? (Feb. 6, 2002)

Gong's 'Accusers' Claim Torture Induced False Confessions | Letters from imprisoned Christian women in China describe assaults with electric clubs. (Feb. 1, 2002)

Free China's Church | The Communist country may ease some religious restrictions, but they still want an apolitical church. (January 3, 2002)

Church Leader Gets Reprieve | China's case against Gong Shengliang now on hold. (Jan. 24, 2002)

Chinese House Church Leader Granted Time to Appeal Death Sentence | Sentence likely to be commuted to imprisonment, but church remains in danger. (Jan. 8, 2002)

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March 2003, Vol. 47, No. 3