An American missionary couple who had worked in China for many years has been deported from the Chinese city of Guangzhou. Chinese Christians were also arrested for distributing printed Christian materials.

This was reported by the portal Invictory, citing the organization Voice of the Martyrs.

According to the organization, local law enforcement agencies conducted a raid on a church in Yongji County, resulting in the immediate deportation of an American Christian couple who had served in China for three decades. In a separate operation unrelated to the raid, Chinese Christian Zheng Shulin was arrested. He was charged with “illegal business activity” on suspicion of distributing literature on Christian apologetics and creationism. Another Christian woman, Li Yuesui, was also arrested. Li was reportedly accused of accepting orders for Christian publications distributed by Zheng.

Dr. Bob Fu, president of the organization ChinaAid, noted that the deportations indicate that Chinese authorities are increasingly seeking to remove foreign religious figures from the country, including those who maintain a low profile and have strong ties to local communities.

As LF previously reported, the state-controlled Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China supported the government’s ban on pastoral activities by unregistered clergy and on the use of unauthorized places of worship.

Earlier, we reported that Chinese authorities are increasing pressure on underground Catholic communities in an effort to force them to join the state-controlled official church. This was stated by Human Rights Watch in its report.