A persecution watch group says that the Chinese government continues to up the pressure on Christians in China. 

ChinaAid says that the Chinese government is hiring citizens to spy on churches, according to Christian leaders in the country.

"A church elder from the city of Kaifeng, located in Henan province, stated that officials within his area had recruited someone of each village to scrutinize the worship services, paying them five times the normal monthly stipend given to poor households," Voice of the Martyrs reported.

VOTM says that the spies are reporting people for bringing children to church. "In February 2018, regulations were introduced barring anyone under the age of 18 from entering religious venues or being taught about religion."

Christians in other areas of the country have also reported the use of paid informants who are being used to work against them.