VATICAN (CWN) -- Bishop Su Zhimin of Baoding, China, is still under arrest-- despite the public statements issued by the Beijing government during the recent trip of Premier Jiang Zemin to the United States. The news agency Fides, an affiliate of the Vatican's Society for the Propagation of the Faith, made that charge today.

      Fides charged that Bishop Zhimin was being held under detention along with his auxiliary, Bishop An Shuxin, and a young priest, Father Wang Quanjun. All are affiliated with the "underground" Catholic Church, which is not recognized by the Communist regime.

      On October 28, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced that a Chinese bishop had been released from custody. According to sources in Hong Kong, that bishop was Zhimin, who had been arrested earlier in October But on November 7, the news arrived from Baoding that the bishop was still being held under police "control," although he was allegedly not behind bars. One source in China told Fides that in fact the bishop had been returned to his prison cell that same day.

      "The case of Su Zhimin appears to be a typical case of 'disinformation.'" Fides charged. The agency pointed out that Human Rights Watch has charged the Chinese government with periodically arresting Christian leaders, then releasing and re-arresting them, as a tactic of intimidation against the Church.

December 8, 1997 volume 8, no. 48          DAILY CATHOLIC