Officials in various countries attempt to control even the prayers of their citizens. Kazakhstan has been aggressively targeting those who dare to pray without state permission.
By 2018, official Chinese government statistics said there were 39 million Protestants in China. Scholars estimate that including house church worshipers pushes the real number to at least 80 million — almost 6% of China’s population, on par with Communist Party membership.
Christianity Inflicting 'Enormous Harm' on China, Warns Communist Party
A local government communications agency in China recently held a seminar to discuss with Communist Party members the "enormous harm" Christianity is to the atheist nation and identify ways to stunt its growth.