Next week, when President Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping, much of the talk will be about trade.

But as he's done before when facing Trump pressure, Xi has launched a major crackdown on the country's Christians.

There are tens of millions of Christians in China, and earlier this month, Beijing arrested a prominent underground church pastor and more than 20 other clergy and parishioners.

In 2019, I traveled to China and saw firsthand how the faithful are often forced to pray behind closed doors.

Left.

On the sixth floor of a Beijing apartment building, an unmarked door.

We don't know. floor of a Beijing apartment building, an unmarked door. Inside a secret church for those prohibited from praying in public.

Xu Yonghai is the pastor of the Holy Love Fellowship and his congregation among China's

most vulnerable Christians, critics of the communist government.

His sanctuary, also his apartment, and bedroom.

There was good reason for secrecy.

Since 2014, religious freedom has reduced.

On January 24, 2014, we were taken to the police station.

13 of us were detained as criminals for one month.

By then, Shu had already been arrested three times, but were detained as criminals for one month.

By then, Shu had already been arrested three times,

but 2014 was the first time that authorities detained his entire parish.

We were arrested because we defended the rights of other churches.

Christian activists say the government has demolished thousands of unsanctioned churches. There are some government-approved ministries, but they have to display banners like this one

that says, quote, implement the basic direction of the Communist Party's religious

work.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has described minorities and their cultures and religions

...