Dear Mr. President:

Reliable sources in China have informed International Christian Concern that the Chinese government has ordered the execution of China's most prominent Christian house-church leaders. Xu Yong Ze could be executed at any time soon, according to the source.

Pastor Xu was arrested in Zhengzhou, Henan province on March 16th along with 16 other popular house-church leaders. The eight were arrested after having met together to discuss uniting their house churches. Pastor Xu's church network Cong Sheng (Born Again) is estimated to be over eight million in number. The merger would have created the largest organized body of Christians in China.
The names of the other seven arrested in March are: Liu Zhenying, Wang Xincai, Wang Baoquan, Fang Xian, Mui Sheng, Ging Jing, and Elder Qiao. The fate of these seven is unknown.

The Born Again House Church is considered a "heresy" by the Chinese government. In the government's "strike hard" campaign against crime, the illegal house churches are being targeted because of their rapid growth and evangelistic fervor.

Pastor Xu Yong Ze had been imprisoned three times. He has been in hiding since 1991 following his release from his last prison sentence. His last arrest occurred in 1991 following an attempt to meet with evangelist Billy Graham.

Since you, Mr. Clinton, are expected to decide this month whether or not China should continue to receive Most Favored Nation trading privileges, I wish you to know my outrage that you would consider this while China has such contempt for the principles we embrace in our Constitution. I would also ask, on behalf of your Christian constituents, that you withhold any further trade negotiations with China until this concern is addressed to the satisfaction of any Christian American.