International organisations engaged with the persecuted church in China have pulled together in a historic statement calling on the world to pray for religious freedom in China.
"The Zurich Statement" was issued this week by the Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP), whose member organisations include China Aid Association (CAA), Open Doors International, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the Voice of the Martyrs (Canada), and the Religious Liberty Commission of World Evangelical Alliance.
In the statement, the organisations acknowledge that the Chinese Government has made some progress in the area of religious freedom and put their hope in the Chinese Government to remove remaining obstacles to the full expression of faith.
"This historic statement reaffirms the solidarity of the international Christian community with the Chinese faithful especially the persecuted House Church," said Mr Fu who represented China Aid at the Zurich meeting. "We pray the true religious freedom in China will finally be realised soon."
They also call for an end to serious violations of religious freedom called the worldwide Christian community to pray for China during the Summer Olympics year.
Earlier in March, CAA published an open letter calling on the international community to help China improve what it called the "worsening" human rights situation ahead of the Games. In the letter, CAA President Bob Fu highlighted the kidnapping of a distinguished Chinese human rights lawyer Teng Biao in front of his apartment on March 6. He was released two days later after being interrogated for 41 hours with a bag over his head.
The Zurich Statement went on to recognise the key role that China had to play in regional and global peace.
