According to reports, at least 400 million Chinese have left the Communist Party and affiliated organisations namely the youth league and young pioneers.

The latest report comes as Chinese nationals in Washington conducted a candlelight vigil to remember those allegedly killed by the Chinese Communist Party for practising Falun Gong which is considered a spiritual practice by its followers but discredited as an anti-state doctrine&nbsp;by Chinese authorities.

Reports claim the Chinese Communist Party had undertaken a campaign to eradicate Falun Gong way back in 1999. Chinese authorities have allegedly killed and detained thousands of Falun Gong followers and put them in "re-education" camps. The spiritual practice had attracted millions of followers in the late 90s in China however authorities allegedly began a large-scale crackdown to contain its growing popularity.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-introduces-new-policies-as-birth-rate-continues-to-fall-508262">Also Read:&nbsp;China introduces new policies as birth rate continues to fall</a>

Several people gathered in Washington on July 20 to express their support for Falun Gong and mourn the deaths of their fellow practitioners. The Trump administration had earlier passed a bill to cut funding for Chinese language and cultural programmes offered in the controversial Confusion institute in the US. The institutes were labelled as "foreign missions" with "multifaceted" efforts by the previous US government. The Confucius institutes allegedly censure topics related to Taiwan and Tibet while projecting the country's soft power.

Watch:&nbsp;Inside China's operation to weaken Taiwan

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-inside-chinas-operation-to-weaken-taiwan-508228/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Recently, Rishi Sunak who is running to become the next UK prime minister had declared he would ban all thirty&nbsp;Confucious institutes in the country.&nbsp;

"Almost all UK government spending on Mandarin language teaching at school is channelled through university-based Confucius Institutes, thereby promoting Chinese soft power," Sunak had said in a tweet while declaring that China "represents the largest threat to Britain and the world’s security and prosperity this century".

(With inputs from Agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

According to reports, at least 400 million Chinese have left the Communist Party and affiliated organisations namely the youth league and young pioneers. The latest report comes as Chinese nationals in Washington conducted a candlelight vigil to remember those allegedly killed by the Chinese Communist Party for practising Falun Gong which is considered a spiritual practice by its followers but discredited as an anti-state doctrine by Chinese authorities.

According to reports, at least 400 million Chinese have left the Communist Party and affiliated organisations namely the youth league and young pioneers. The latest report comes as Chinese nationals in Washington conducted a candlelight vigil to remember those allegedly killed by the Chinese Communist Party for practising Falun Gong which is considered a spiritual practice by its followers but discredited as an anti-state doctrine by Chinese authorities. Reports claim the Chinese Communist Party had undertaken a campaign to eradicate Falun Gong way back in 1999. Chinese authorities have allegedly killed and detained thousands of Falun Gong followers and put them in "re-education" camps. The spiritual practice had attracted millions of followers in the late 90s in China however authorities allegedly began a large-scale crackdown to contain its growing popularity. Also Read: China introduces new policies as birth rate continues to fall Several people gathered in Washington on July 20 to express their support for Falun Gong and mourn the deaths of their fellow practitioners. The Trump administration had earlier passed a bill to cut funding for Chinese language and cultural programmes offered in the controversial Confusion institute in the US. The institutes were labelled as "foreign missions" with "multifaceted" efforts by the previous US government. The Confucius institutes allegedly censure topics related to Taiwan and Tibet while projecting the country's soft power. Watch: Inside China's operation to weaken Taiwan Recently, Rishi Sunak who is running to become the next UK prime minister had declared he would ban all thirty Confucious institutes in the country. "Almost all UK government spending on Mandarin language teaching at school is channelled through university-based Confucius Institutes, thereby promoting Chinese soft power," Sunak had said in a tweet while declaring that China "represents the largest threat to Britain and the world’s security and prosperity this century". (With inputs from Agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Chinese nationals ditch Communist Party; protesters in US highlight persecution of Falun Gong followers

It is the biggest victim of China's doctrine of state atheism - Falun Gong.

Falun Gong is a religious movement. It believes in the cultivation of virtue and emphasises spiritual enlightenment.

Falun gong or the "dharma wheel practice" is a system of mind and body cultivation under China's ancient Qigong tradition. It's a combination of Buddhist and Taoist teachings and believes in the cultivation of moral character through forbearance.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-did-china-harvest-organs-of-its-own-citizens-315544/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Falun Gong was established by the famous Chinese spiritual leader Li Hongzhi in May 1992. Li's movement attracted tens of millions of urban Chinese citizens. It also gained significant popularity across the world as the growth of the movement coincided with the migration of students from mainland China to the West.

Throughout the 90s Falun Gong clubs and associations began appearing in almost every part of Europe but in 1999 when the movement became a subject of international media coverage tension erupted between Falun Gong practitioners and the Chinese Communist Party.

China declared it illegal and said Falun Gong was advocating superstition. In the years that followed, the Chinese Communist Party launched a propaganda campaign to cast the movement as an "evil cult". The state media published articles blaming the Falun Gong for hoodwinking people as thousands of practitioners were arrested and detained. They were incarcerated in labour camps and subjected to torture, arbitrary execution and organ harvesting.

In 2006, a report by Canadian MP David Kilgour uncovered China's atrocities on Falun Gong practitioners. The report revealed a significant increase in China's annual organ transplant since 1999 in the same year when China began the crackdown.

In 2016, another report was released which estimated the volume of organs harvested to be around 100,000. As of today, Falun Gong does not exist in mainland China. The practitioners are mostly based overseas &nbsp;trying to draw the world's attention to their plight.

In September 2019, WION had travelled to New York to cover the UN General Assembly session. We had carried a report on the annual protests outside the UNGA headquarters. Falun Gong practitioners were seated quietly among the protesters. They have been persecuted for their beliefs, banished for their practices and robbed of their organs.

Falun Gong practitioners are still fighting for legitimacy and waiting to return home.

It is the biggest victim of China's doctrine of state atheism - Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a religious movement. It believes in the cultivation of virtue and emphasises spiritual enlightenment.

It is the biggest victim of China's doctrine of state atheism - Falun Gong. Falun Gong is a religious movement. It believes in the cultivation of virtue and emphasises spiritual enlightenment. Falun gong or the "dharma wheel practice" is a system of mind and body cultivation under China's ancient Qigong tradition. It's a combination of Buddhist and Taoist teachings and believes in the cultivation of moral character through forbearance. Falun Gong was established by the famous Chinese spiritual leader Li Hongzhi in May 1992. Li's movement attracted tens of millions of urban Chinese citizens. It also gained significant popularity across the world as the growth of the movement coincided with the migration of students from mainland China to the West. Throughout the 90s Falun Gong clubs and associations began appearing in almost every part of Europe but in 1999 when the movement became a subject of international media coverage tension erupted between Falun Gong practitioners and the Chinese Communist Party. China declared it illegal and said Falun Gong was advocating superstition. In the years that followed, the Chinese Communist Party launched a propaganda campaign to cast the movement as an "evil cult". The state media published articles blaming the Falun Gong for hoodwinking people as thousands of practitioners were arrested and detained. They were incarcerated in labour camps and subjected to torture, arbitrary execution and organ harvesting. In 2006, a report by Canadian MP David Kilgour uncovered China's atrocities on Falun Gong practitioners. The report revealed a significant increase in China's annual organ transplant since 1999 in the same year when China began the crackdown. In 2016, another report was released which estimated the volume of organs harvested to be around 100,000. As of today, Falun Gong does not exist in mainland China. The practitioners are mostly based overseas trying to draw the world's attention to their plight. In September 2019, WION had travelled to New York to cover the UN General Assembly session. We had carried a report on the annual protests outside the UNGA headquarters. Falun Gong practitioners were seated quietly among the protesters. They have been persecuted for their beliefs, banished for their practices and robbed of their organs. Falun Gong practitioners are still fighting for legitimacy and waiting to return home.

Did China steal organs of Falun Gong practitioners?

A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer has reappeared two days after going missing following his release from a jail sentence for state subversion, his wife said Sunday.

Jiang Tianyong -- who took on high-profile cases including those of Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan protesters -- was one of more than 200 lawyers and activists detained in a 2015 clampdown on courtroom critics of Communist authorities.

The 47-year-old had disappeared Thursday after completing his two-year jail sentence before he finally reappeared in his hometown of Xinyang, Henan province, said his US-based wife.

Supporters had said police outside the jail he was released from told them he had been "taken away" but did not specify by whom.

"After not seeing each other for six years, we were finally able to talk and video chat," Jin Bianling told AFP.

But even though Jiang has been released from jail, "he is still not free", she added.

"He is living at his parents' home now, but there are police stationed outside. Wherever he goes, the police follow him," said Jin.&nbsp;

"I am also worried that he could disappear at any time, so I hope he can come to the US as soon as possible to reunite with us."

It is not uncommon for human rights activists and dissidents in China to remain under surveillance or face ongoing restrictions after they serve their prison sentences.

Hu Jia, a Beijing-based activist who served a three-year jail sentence in 2008, says he has been under intermittent house arrest since 2004.&nbsp;

The disappearance of Jiang, who was charged with "inciting subversion" in 2017, also comes as China continues to clamp down on human rights activists and lawyers in the country.

In January, Wang Quanzhang, another well-known Chinese lawyer swept up in the 2015 crackdown, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for "subverting state power".&nbsp;

Wang, who defended political activists and victims of land seizures, was part of a now-defunct law firm called Beijing Fengrui.

The law firm, which specialised in cases involving farmers' land rights, labour camps and criminal rights saw at least five lawyers detained in 2015.

A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer has reappeared two days after going missing following his release from a jail sentence for state subversion, his wife said Sunday.

A prominent Chinese human rights lawyer has reappeared two days after going missing following his release from a jail sentence for state subversion, his wife said Sunday. Jiang Tianyong -- who took on high-profile cases including those of Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan protesters -- was one of more than 200 lawyers and activists detained in a 2015 clampdown on courtroom critics of Communist authorities. The 47-year-old had disappeared Thursday after completing his two-year jail sentence before he finally reappeared in his hometown of Xinyang, Henan province, said his US-based wife. Supporters had said police outside the jail he was released from told them he had been "taken away" but did not specify by whom. "After not seeing each other for six years, we were finally able to talk and video chat," Jin Bianling told AFP. But even though Jiang has been released from jail, "he is still not free", she added. "He is living at his parents' home now, but there are police stationed outside. Wherever he goes, the police follow him," said Jin. "I am also worried that he could disappear at any time, so I hope he can come to the US as soon as possible to reunite with us." It is not uncommon for human rights activists and dissidents in China to remain under surveillance or face ongoing restrictions after they serve their prison sentences. Hu Jia, a Beijing-based activist who served a three-year jail sentence in 2008, says he has been under intermittent house arrest since 2004. The disappearance of Jiang, who was charged with "inciting subversion" in 2017, also comes as China continues to clamp down on human rights activists and lawyers in the country. In January, Wang Quanzhang, another well-known Chinese lawyer swept up in the 2015 crackdown, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for "subverting state power". Wang, who defended political activists and victims of land seizures, was part of a now-defunct law firm called Beijing Fengrui. The law firm, which specialised in cases involving farmers' land rights, labour camps and criminal rights saw at least five lawyers detained in 2015.

Missing Chinese rights lawyer returns home but 'still not free', says wife