New targets in China's crackdown on critics

CHINA'S artists and Christians have become the latest targets in the biggest crackdown on the Communist Party's critics in decades, with a leading Beijing "underground" church being left homeless and the country's most controversial art figure detained by police at the weekend.

Between 100 and 200 people have been pulled in by security forces and subjected to measures ranging from police summonses to house arrest as the government steps up censorship of the internet, forces several liberal newspaper editors to step down and imposes new restrictions on foreign media reporting.

Beijing's Shougang Church has about 1000 members but is a so-called "underground" or "house" church that operates beyond the auspices of the Communist Party's three official Christian churches, which include a "Catholic" church that sits outside the authority of the Vatican.

The church's landlord is refusing to renew its lease under orders from security forces.

"This is the cross that the church has to bear," Pastor Jin Tianming was reported to have told his congregation.

"We need a formal approval from the authorities to allow us to find an indoor meeting place. If not, we will not waver in worshipping outdoors."

Ai Xiaoming, a professor at Sun Yat-sen University said the arrest of artist Ai Weiwei indicates the crackdown has deteriorated to the "highest, bottomless level".

Ai is widely exhibited around the world and has become increasingly critical of China's leadership in recent years.

He was detained at Beijing airport on Sunday morning and his studio in east Beijing was raided by police.

He joins two dozen detained activists across the country who are being held without charges along with up to 23 well-known critics who have "disappeared."

All posts and comments about Ai are being deleted under orders of Chinese censors but calls for his release are circulating on blogs and Twitter.

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