Communist China is officially atheistic. According to recent studies, however, 70% of the population adheres to Chinese folk religion, including forms of Buddhism and Taoism. Around 25% are actually atheists. Christians comprise 2.5% and Muslims 1.6%.

For background on Orthodox Christianity in China, see here.

The State Department report on religious freedom in North Korea says that “authorities held 50,000 to 70,000 citizens in prison for being Christian.” Even Christians who were not imprisoned “experienced persecution that was ‘violent and intense.’” The report stated that “life for Christians … is a constant cauldron of pressure; capture or death is only a mistake away.”

“China, North Korea Working Together to Persecute Christians,” International Christian Concern, August 23, 2024:

8/23/2024 China/North Korea (International Christian Concern) — According to a new report, China continues to aid North Korea in its relentless persecution of Christians. 

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently published its findings on the alarming lack of religious freedom in North Korea and China’s role in helping to spur it forward. 

“The government of China continues to cooperate with the North Korean government to repatriate North Korean refugees in China, including those who have engaged in religious activities or come in contact with Christian missionaries, despite the risk of torture or other severe punishments upon return,” the statement read. 

As North Korea shares a large border with China, many North Koreans flee persecution and travel to China in a desperate attempt to start new lives. It’s a calculated risk that many make, hoping to find human kindness from Christian missionaries or others who will help them before authorities catch them. However, for many of these individuals, life remains bleak. Stories of human trafficking and maltreatment of North Korean refugees at the hands of Chinese authorities and organized crime rings are common.

In North Korea, religious freedoms are grievously scarce. The USCIRF, in its annual report in May, explained that “the North Korean government regards Christians as ‘counterrevolutionaries’ and ‘traitors,’ which are political crimes, who must be eliminated. Possessing a Bible, practicing the faith, and simply being a Christian could lead to severe punishment, including torture, forced labor, imprisonment, and execution.” …