The United States has called for China to release 30 leaders of an influential underground church who were detained on Sunday. The group, which includes pastors, elders, and church members, was arrested during a worship service in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
The US State Department issued a statement condemning the arrests, describing them as a violation of religious freedom. The statement called on the Chinese government to respect the rights of all individuals to practice their beliefs freely and without fear of persecution.
On the other hand, Chinese authorities have not commented on the arrests or provided any reasons for the detentions. The Chinese government has often cracked down on underground churches, viewing them as a threat to the ruling Communist Party’s authority.
The detained leaders are part of the Early Rain Covenant Church, one of the most prominent unregistered Protestant “house” churches in China. The church has faced government pressure and surveillance for years due to its large size and its outspokenness on social issues.
The incident is likely to further strain relations between the US and China, which are already tense due to trade disputes and geopolitical issues. The US has been critical of China’s human rights record, while China has accused the US of interfering in its internal affairs.
The detentions highlight the ongoing challenges faced by religious groups in China, particularly those that operate outside the state-approved system. It also raises concerns about the limits on religious freedom in the country and the treatment of religious minorities.
The US government’s call for the release of the church leaders is likely to escalate diplomatic tensions between the two countries and could lead to further international condemnation of China’s human rights practices.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “US calls for China to release 30 leaders of influential underground church”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.