China tightens regulations of foreigners’ religious activities in Mainland

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For the first time the Jinping-administration adds words like – interference, national unity, religious extremism, hostile words and actions against China, respect for China’s principle of religious independence and self-governance, and even the anti-spy law to its law overseeing religious practices and activities in the mainland

New Delhi: Adding teeth to its repression of religious practices of minority groups, China has tightened its laws overseeing cultural activities in the mainland. The move from Beijing comes months after the annual report on religious freedom released by the US State Department accused President Xi Jinping-led administration of categorically targeting Christians, Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners in the country.

According to a report, Beijing’s State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), last week published the draft revision to the regulations on religious activities of foreigners in China for public comments. The report says that Beijing unveiled the Regulations Governing Religious Activities of Foreign Nationals within China in 1994, and the revision this time is for implementation of the regulations. Compared to the 2010 revision, the draft this time has added a significant amount of content and has been precisely expanded from 22 to 40 articles.

The report highlighted that the draft revision strictly bans foreigners in China from engaging in a variety of activities, including ‘interfering in and dominating the affairs of Chinese religious organizations, religious schools, and places of worship, interfering in the identification and management of religious teachers and staff… and using religion to undermine China’s national unity and ethnic solidarity.’ The revision also requests that foreign religious personnel wishing to preach in China, respect and adhere to the ‘independence and self-management’ of Chinese religions and ensure that “no hostile comments or actions against China’ are communicated during their stay in the mainland.

Experts who compared with the current draft against the 2010 version, pointed out that the revision has for the first time mentioned words like – interference, national unity, religious extremism, hostile words and actions against China, respect for China’s principle of religious independence and self-governance, and even the anti-spy law.

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Analysts in Hong Kong claimed that the draft tabled by the Chinese Government has started showing its effect with a drastic reduction in the number of people visiting churches. They cited that days after the draft was released several pastors, and religious leaders of other communities stepped out from the mainland and moved to Taiwan, Cambodia, and other Southeast Asian nations.