China must not be allowed to 'sportswash' its religious freedom abuses, the head of Release International has said. 

Paul Robinson said that the Winter Olympics, which have just started in Beijing, are an opportunity to highlight the persecution taking place in China. 

"Three billion people are set to watch the Winter Olympics - three billion opportunities to highlight the truth about how China is persecuting its religious minorities, including Christians," he said. 

The Games are taking place amid global concern about China's treatment of the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority, at least a million of whom have been forced into re-education camps. 

Robinson is asking Christians to pray "that the international spotlight on China will highlight the day-to-day reality facing many who are suffering for their faith, and that fresh pressure will be applied to finally allow full religious freedom for all China's citizens". 

The UK, US, Canada, Australia and Lithuania have all staged diplomatic boycotts of the Winter Olympics, meaning that no government ministers or officials from these countries will attend. 

Release partner Bob Fu said the Winter Olympics were a "gigantic propaganda show" for China. He has called for a boycott of the Games, and urged those who do attend to "use every occasion, opportunity and gesture to register solidarity with the victims".

He said the treatment of the Uyghurs amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity, and likened the detention centres to "modern-day concentration camps".

In a message to corporate sponsors of the Games, he said: "You are sponsoring the genocide Olympics. Blood is on your hands, on your company's logo."

Open Doors, which also supports the persecuted Church, said Christians in Beijing were preparing to keep a low profile during the Games in order to avoid run-ins with the authorities. 

"We know that we should not be 'active' during this kind of event," said one Beijing pastor.

"We know how we should behave during this time. And that is to lie low."

China regards Christianity as a Western religion and therefore sees it as a threat. In some parts of the country, churches have been demolished or had their crosses removed. During the pandemic, there were reports of Zoom church services being disrupted. 

Another Christian in Beijing told Open Doors, "At times of major events like this, ministers are warned to 'behave', 'be quiet' and 'remain invisible in the public domain'.

"If the churches do not comply, their church meetings run the risk of being stopped."