Four Authoritarian Nations Cooperate to Suppress Christianity, Report Says

A report based on the book "Axis of Aggressors" says China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are increasingly cooperating across economic, cyber, technology and military domains, and that this cooperation also reinforces their domestic repression of Christians. While each regime has different motives, the authors note that none tolerates Christianity, and they coordinate persecution efforts.

The article describes specific restrictions: in China, belief in Christ as the only way to Heaven is labeled "cultist" theology; in Russia, Christians must obtain state approval to proselytize and are often denied; in Iran, the state uses an upgraded digital surveillance network to target Christians; and in North Korea, possessing a Bible can result in up to three generations of a Christian’s family being sent to a labor camp. It also cites the 2017 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where China, Russia and Iran (as an observer) expanded the definition of "extremism" to include ideology and practice, giving governments broader legal grounds to suppress religion without requiring violent acts, a shift that mirrors Russia’s 2002 anti‑extremism law.