Catholics read official notices after the authorities closed a prayer house used by the underground Catholic community in Anzhuang village of Baoding Diocese in this file photo taken on May 22, 2015. Baoding Diocese falls in an area set to become a part of massive economic zone. (Photo supplied)
Underground Catholics in China's northern Hebei province are worried that an enormous economic project will increase government suppression of their faith.
Catholics in one of the cities that will be affected by the proposed Xiongan New District development project told ucanews.com that they believe the government will use it to act against the church.
"It is hard to say how this far-reaching project will affect the church but 'maintaining stability' is always something we can expect under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party," Paul, an underground lay leader in Baoding, told ucanews.com.
The Chinese government has described the creation of the Xiongan New District in Hebei as "a significant historical and strategic choice" that will mimic the success of special economic zones in southern Shenzhen and eastern Shanghai. The development is expected to initially cover 100 square km and eventually expand to 2,000 square km.
Paul said that the concern is that if underground priests and their church premises are not registered with the authorities then this could become an excuse for the government to remove them in the name of development.
The new district, announced on April 1, will combine Anxin, Rongcheng and Xiongxian counties near Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding cities.
The three counties are covered by Baoding Diocese, a traditional stronghold of the underground church community, with 150,000 faithful served by more than 100 priests.
The government has long suppressed Catholics in the area.
"The village committee came to my house recently and told me not to hold Mass at home during Holy Week and Easter," Paul said as an example.
As for security concerns, he said "we are all targets. The development looks nothing special but the communist authorities are very nervous actually."
Other Catholics in Baoding are closely observing to see what the impact may be. "We still don't know how the church will be affected," a diocesan source told ucanews.com.
Peter Zhang, a Catholic blogger in Hebei, told ucanews.com that security officers have approached him to understand the situation of the local church recently.
"They asked whether I have contact with Baoding and Tianjin or not. They wanted to master the situation soon after the announcement. International media and investors have been attracted to the place and the government has to ensure stability," he said.
The project is expected to play a central role in President Xi Jinping's plan to integrate development, according to Xinhua News agency on April 1.
Many non-government facilities are expected to be relocated from Beijing to the new district, including markets, schools, research institutions and hospitals. Once the announcement came, property speculation surged in the proposed district so much that the government froze the trading of properties.
There are believed to be nearly one million Catholics in Hebei province.
