China's Christians fend off church demolition crew amid latest Communist Party crackdown on faith

Demolition team attempting to remove a cross from Wenzhous Guantou church

Authorities claim the so-called Three Rectifications and One Demolition campaign is targeting all illegal buildings and not just churches. However, Beijing has faced increasing criticism, in and outside of China, over the demolitions and cross removals.

The campaign contravenes international norms and Chinese regulations governing religious affairs, the United States Congressional-Executive Commission on China said on Friday.

The campaign is designed to bring excessive religious sites and overly popular religious activities under control, according to an internal government document obtained by The New York Times last month.

The scale of Zhejiangs campaign has shocked the regions large Christian community.

More than 60 churches have suffered some kind of intervention since the start of this year, according to a list compiled last month by Asia News, a Catholic news agency.

Many of the interventions have taken place in Wenzhou, a port city that has one of Chinas largest Christian populations and is sometimes called the Jerusalem of the East.

However, recent weeks have seen the threat of demolition spread to other parts of Zhejiang province, including Ningbo, a major city around 140 miles south of Shanghai.

One thousand Ningbo Christians were forced to leave their place of worship last month after officials decided their 10-storey mega-church was an eyesore that should be destroyed.

Church activists and academics are increasingly convinced that Zhejiangs anti-church drive has Beijings support while some fear it may be a precursor for similar actions across the country.

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China's Christians fend off church demolition crew amid latest Communist Party crackdown on faith