Authorities in China arrested 100 young Christian students as a government attempt to crackdown on churches that are not registered.

The young Christians had been meeting for bible study in Langfang, a city in Hebei province, when they were taken into custody by Chinese officers, according to Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), a U.S. organization that reports on religious persecution.

The officials told the Christian students, who are in sixth to twelfth grade, after interrogating them that they have to stop meeting other Christians. In addition, they should stop attending unregistered religious functions, VOM reported.

In China, Protestant and Catholic churches need to be registered under the government, and some churches that are not registered are considered "subversive," World Net Daily writes, however, VOM reported that churches that are registered are still restricted from practicing their faith.

Recently, Chinese Christian leaders were detained during a retreat held in western Xinjiang, an autonomous region.

The leaders were separated and taken in to custody on July 12 by 200 officials, some were pressured to renounce their faith, the U.S. persecution monitor said.

VOM, in addition, reported that these type of arrests have intensified in recent months.