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Washington, December 12, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – China is a dangerous place to be an unborn baby.  About 30,000 children are aborted there every single day, according to China Life Alliance, a pro-life group focused on stopping the slaughter. 

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“There are more abortions every few years in China than all of American history combined,” the group says on its website.  “But did you know that there is a pro-life movement in China? Probably not. Most people don’t know about it because it’s been happening underground.”

The group is calling for 30,000 people to pledge to pray daily for life issues in China – one for each of the children aborted there every day.

China Life Alliance (CLA) helps underground “house churches” all over China to rescue children before they are abandoned, sold or killed. They offer legal and financial aid along with emergency assistance to families expecting children in violation of the government’s “one child policy.”

Because of this policy, many pregnancies end in abortion – often forced by the government.  Those children who survive to birth are frequently sold or abandoned, especially if they are girls. Violation of the one-child policy is punished with mandatory abortion and/or heavy fines. 

LifeSiteNews (LSN) spoke to Bob Fu, who serves on the CLA advisory board, to learn more about the challenges faced by Chinese families and the people trying to help them.  Fu was born and raised in China, but fled the country in 2002 due to religious oppression.  He remains involved in his native country’s affairs as the founder and president of ChinaAid, a group fighting for religious freedom in China. 

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While some details of CLA’s work in China must remain secret due to the risk of harsh punishment by government officials, Fu said that one of CLA’s primary roles is to help families negotiate with family planning officials.  Often, that means assisting them in settling financial punishments for having a baby. 

Fines for violating the one-child policy are dependent on sex, with boys costing about twice what girls cost.  The fines are steep, averaging 3-5 times a family’s yearly income.  That’s if a family has been lucky enough to evade family planning officials for the duration of the pregnancy.  Usually, said Fu, if officials find out, “they’ll force you to abort, even at 8 or 9 months.”

Families who are caught pregnant in violation of the one child policy and forced to abort must pay for the abortion procedure in addition to the fines. 

But Chinese officials’ notorious corruption can sometimes work in a family’s favor, said Fu.  “Sometimes,” he said, “local family planning officials can be persuaded to overlook things,” if the right palms are greased with enough cash.  “Sometimes they can avoid the abortion if they have a relationship with the official, and pay the official.”  CLA gives families the means to make such payments, which officials don’t call bribes, but ‘negotiations.’

Sometimes, though, the success of such ‘negotiations’ depends on how many babies have already been born in a region.  “There are quotas involved,” said Fu.  “If too many babies have already been born in a province, no one will escape [abortion].”

Fu said that one such province, having approached their government-mandated quota for the year, announced an initiative: “100 Days, No Babies.”  All of the women were dragged into abortion centers to “have their bodies checked.”  If they were found to be pregnant – whether or not they already had a child – an abortion was performed on the spot, said Fu. 

Asked what people outside the country can do to help CLA in its effort to save lives, Fu said one of their most pressing needs is legal defense.  “We need good Christian lawyers” to help defend house churches and families against harsh government punishments, he said.  He also asked for prayers.

“[China’s forced abortion policy] is the most grievous human atrocity on Earth,” said Fu.  “Every day is worse than the World Wars.  It is a time of great spiritual darkness.”  He said the Chinese pro-life movement needs the spiritual support of their sisters and brothers around the world. “We want 30,000 prayer warriors,” he said, “30,000 people that can pray daily for Life in China.”

Those who want to be part of the prayer team can “like” CLA’s Facebook page or sign up on the CLA website to receive its prayer updates.