CHINA - Chinese authorities have demolished at least ten Christian churches since July for being in "illegal religious locations" in the cities of Hangzhou, Xiaoshan, Xihu , Shiqiao and Shangtang in the Zhejiang Province, according to the China Human Right Civil Movement Information Center in Hong Kong.

The Information Center said that since July the police station and religion bureau started a new wave of activity to shut down and demolish churches. As a result, small family churches have been placed in conflict with government authorities.

The Dutesan Church in Xiaoshan Nanyang Town Henpeng village rented a large warehouse from the village three years ago and remodeled it into a church that accommodates 500 people, says the Information Center. The church members never missed a payment and their contract allowed them to remodel the warehouse.

As reported by the Central news Agency September 20th, the Xiaoshan police along with the religious bureau sent out a bulldozer and demolished the church.

Liu Feng-gang, a Christian from Beijing, went to Hangzhou to give assistance to the church members and was arrested by the by the Xiaoshan police on October 13th. The police also searched his house in Beijing and removed his belongings.

In a formal statement, the Information Center strongly encouraged the Chinese authorities to allow the underground Christians to maintain their own churches and asked the legislature to set up regulations to allow the existence of churches other than the official Sanzi Church.

Currently there are more than 50 million “family” church members in China, most of whom are unwilling to associate with the official state-drected Sanszi Church. All churches must be registered through the governement church or face a restriction on holding religious services and activities.