Contact: Bob Fu, President, China Aid Association, 432-689-6985, 267-205-5210 cell, info@ChinaAid.org 

MIDLAND, Texas, Feb. 13, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- China Aid Association released its 2013 Persecution report today, which states that government persecution against Christians in China had risen 38.82 percent since 2012 based on six categories.

Of the six categories, which include the total number of persecution cases, the number of people persecuted, the number of people detained, the number of people sentenced, the number of abuse cases and the number of people abused, all but one increased between 2 and 50.9 percent. The only category which saw a decrease in percentage was the number of abuse case, which fell 42.9 percent since 2012.

In 2013, ChinaAid documented 143 cases of persecution; 7,424 people were persecuted, representing a 50.9 percent increase since 2012.

ChinaAid revealed in the report that, via access to a government document entitled "Focus of Work of State Administration for Religious Affairs in 2014," the Chinese government aims to "summarize the practice and experience of regulating the privately set-up Christian meeting places in some regions and explore effective methods of regulating. Also, to attach importance to the job of uniting and liaising with minority religious groups and resolve conflicts and disputes."

ChinaAid, however, remained hopeful. "House churches in China had a difficult year in 2013, but we won't lose heart. Oppositely, only in such circumstances can churches be constantly purified, free of blemishes, mature and strong, and prepared for even greater mission. When political regimes and figures, one by one, sink into the long river of history, Jesus Christ's Church stands tall and firm, and like it was 2,000 years ago; even the power of Hell cannot triumph over it," Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid, said.

To view and download the full report, including diagrams, visit: drive.google.com/file/d/0B024UfutRtHodEI0Tm1aREVpRmM/edit?usp=sharing