Neither China's National Religious Affairs Administration nor local authorities in Chengdu responded to CNN's requests for comment on the case. The arrests cap a year-long crackdown on religion in China. Religion with Chinese characteristicsChina may be officially an atheist state, but religious practice is legal in the country -- albeit under tight government supervision and surveillance. China's fractious relationship with organized religion has a long history. The clampdown on Uyghurs led the US State Department to designate China a "country of particular concern" regarding religious freedom.

Source: CNN December 27, 2018 00:22 UTC