China stops activist from attending Bush service

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) greets U.S. President George W. Bush in Beijing August 10, 2008.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese plainclothes police detained a Christian activist on Sunday to stop him from attending a service at a church where U.S. President George W. Bush was worshipping, the activist's brother said.

Hua Huiqi, 46, and his brother, Hua Huilin, 52, an electrician, were taken into custody while cycling to Kuanjie Protestant church in Beijing at dawn, the brother said hours after he was released.

"Police came to our house last night and told me not to let my brother venture out today. My brother was baptised at the church and determined to go. I went along to try to protect him," the brother told Reuters by telephone.

Police seized the activist's Bible and cell phone and forced him into a car which sped away, the brother said.

Police later told Hua Huilin that the activist had escaped when plainclothes police watching him fell asleep, the brother said, adding that Hua Huiqi's whereabouts were unknown.

Religious freedom is enshrined in China's constitution, but the government expects Christians to worship in "patriotic" churches under state control with clergy vetted by the state.

China has about 40 million active Christians, and their numbers are evenly divided between state-run and underground churches, according to expert estimates.