Here is a summary.
Bibles may now be able to be purchased in parts of China. However, the Voice of the Martyrs tells the story of an illegal printing press in a Western Chinese village which was being run by a 19 year old Chinese Christian girl who turned the machine to print the pages of whatever was being printed - in this case she was printing copies of Pastor Wurmbrand's "Tortured for Christ" book. The Chinese government officials discovered the fact of the printing press but could not locate it. So they destroyed hut after hut in the village until they found the hut that had the secret entrance into a cave in the side of a mountain where the printing press was hidden. It was of course destroyed when found - (after the homes of the other villagers had been destroyed) - but thankfully the courageous and determined young Christian had time to escape capture.
Undoubtedly, the Chinese government uses many weapons to stop the growing "House Church" movement inside China. However, I did read recently that the Chinese government LIKES Christians because they are the best workers. That, however, does not stop the beatings, torture, labor camp sentences, and death sentences against Christians (and those of other prohibited religious groups) inside China.
Further, as we have discovered in Iraq. I am sure that we do not know the full story. I am sure the persecutions, hidden prisons, murders of Christians - even today - are much greater than we can discover given the amount of suppression of truth in any and every totalitarian government.
God bless and help the courageous Chinese Christians!!! And those throughout the suffering church.
Another interesting link to stories of Chinese Christians being persecuted: Evidently persecution has been on the increase since the beginning of 2002. </a href="http://www.persecution.org/news/report2002-01-08.html">As this article describes.
Officially - China is viewed as having government sanctioned Christian churches (3 self church is one, and Government sanctioned Catholic church is two). If a church is not registered with the government and approved (and the House Church movement is not) - then its leaders are in danger of arrest and its congregants are not approved for certain jobs, etc. Forced labor is the most common punishment for breaking the Chinese laws against "unofficial" church leadership. But there are also beatings, tortures, discrimination, and destruction of property plus high fines to government officials to get out of prison.
One day - the people of China, the people of North Korea, the people of VietNam, the people of Cuba, the people of other oppressive nations will be free. The question is - will the USA still be "mostly free" (as we are classed by the Voice of the Martyrs) at that time? I simply do not think so unless many more American Christians awake from their slumber.....to earnest, unceasing, prayer!