Recently, the National Religious Affairs Administration (NRAA) announced the newly revised "Rules for the Implementation of the Provisions on the Administration of Religious Activities of Foreigners in the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Rules"). On the occasion of the release, an NRAA official addressed questions from journalists regarding the revision of the "Implementation Rules."
Below is the full text:
1. Question: Why was it necessary to revise the "Implementation Rules"?
Answer: The revision is urgently needed to standardize the religious activities of foreigners in China. With China's further opening up, the number of foreigners entering the country for business, tourism, and personal visits has continued to rise, leading to growing demands for participation in religious activities. The original rules required refinement in safeguarding foreigners' normal religious activities, particularly collective ones. Additionally, some foreigners have engaged in illegal missionary work or participated in unauthorized religious activities, undermining religious harmony and even social stability. In response, Chinese religious communities, believers, and some foreign nationals have called for clearer regulations to standardize the management of foreigners' religious activities within China.
The revision of the "Implementation Rules" is an inevitable requirement for advancing law-based governance in all respects. In accordance with the "Administrative License Law," the implementation of administrative permits must specify concrete provisions on permit conditions, authority, procedures, timelines, and ensure public disclosure. The original "Implementation Rules" required further standardization for the following four administrative permits: approval of temporary locations for collective religious activities organized by foreigners within China; approval for exchanges between foreign religious organizations (outside China's five recognized religions) and their members with Chinese government agencies or religious communities; approval for foreigners to bring religious items into China for religious, cultural, or academic exchanges; and approval for inviting foreign religious personnel (entering under non-religious status) to preach or deliver religious lectures. Therefore, it is necessary to revise the rules to clarify regulations on administrative permits and standardize the permit-granting practices of government religious affairs departments.
2. Question: What provisions do the revised "Implementation Rules" include to protect the normal religious activities of foreigners within China?
Answer: China has consistently respected the freedom of religious belief for foreigners within its territory, as explicitly stipulated in the 1994 "Rules on the Administration of Religious Activities of Foreigners in the People's Republic of China." The newly revised "Implementation Rules" reaffirm China's commitment to respecting this freedom and legally safeguarding foreigners' religious activities. Specifically, lawful religious activities for foreigners in China include: participating in religious activities at legally registered temples, monasteries, mosques, or churches (hereinafter referred to as "religious venues"); conducting collective religious activities at religious venues or approved temporary locations; inviting Chinese religious personnel to perform religious rites (e.g., baptisms, weddings, funerals, or rituals such as Taoist sanctuary and religious assemblies) in accordance with religious customs, subject to agreement with local religious groups; engaging in friendly exchanges and cultural or academic interactions with Chinese religious groups, religious institutes, and religious venues; preaching or delivering religious lectures at religious venues by foreign religious personnel upon invitation; studying at Chinese religious institutes with approval from relevant religious groups; and teaching at religious institutes as foreign professionals, following formal employment procedures by Chinese religious institutes.
3. Question: What provisions do the newly revised "Implementation Rules" specify regarding collective religious activities organized by foreigners in China?
Answer: To better facilitate and regulate collective religious activities for foreigners in China, the "Implementation Rules" stipulate two permissible approaches: designated services provided by domestic religious venues (temples, monasteries, mosques, or churches) and temporary locations approved by Chinese government religious affairs authorities, if religious venues cannot accommodate such services.
When foreigners in China intend to hold collective religious activities at religious venues (temples, monasteries, mosques, or churches), the elected convener shall submit a written application to the municipal-level (including prefectures, autonomous prefectures, and leagues) religious association in the locality. The religious association shall designate appropriate religious venues to provide exclusive services for such collective religious activities based on the application and the actual conditions of local religious venues. The designated religious venues providing exclusive services for foreigners' collective religious activities shall enter into an agreement with the convener, which shall clearly specify the schedule of activities, the format of activities, the frequency of activities, the number of participants, safety measures, rights and obligations of both parties, legal responsibilities and other relevant matters.
Where local religious venues are unable to provide exclusive services, the municipal-level (including prefectures, autonomous prefectures, and leagues) religious association shall provide a written response to the convener. The convener may then apply to the religious affairs department of the provincial people's government in their locality for approval to establish a temporary location. Upon receiving the application materials, the provincial religious affairs department shall solicit opinions from relevant county or city religious affairs departments and religious associations, and render a decision to approve or disapprove within twenty working days from the date of accepting the application. Foreigners participating in collective religious activities at temporary locations shall comply with all applicable Chinese laws, regulations, and rules, refrain from disrupting normal production, study, or daily life of surrounding institutions and residents, and accept supervision and management by local religious affairs authorities.
4. Question: What are the prohibited regulations regarding religious activities conducted by foreigners in China?
Answer: We have observed that some foreigners do indeed violate China's laws and regulations by conducting illegal religious activities or engaging in unauthorized missionary work within our territory. The "Implementation Rules" explicitly stipulate that foreigners conducting religious activities in China must comply with Chinese laws, regulations, and rules; respect the principle of independence and self-governance in China's religious affairs; accept lawful administration by the Chinese government; not use religion to harm China's national interests, public welfare, or the lawful rights of citizens; and not violate China's public order and social morality. Specifically, foreigners in China are prohibited from the following religious-related activities: (1) Interfering in or controlling the affairs of Chinese religious groups, religious institutes, or religious venues, or meddling in the recognition and management of religious personnel. (2) Establishing religious organizations, setting up religious offices, religious venues, or religious institutes. (3) Promoting extremist religious ideologies, supporting or financing religious extremism and illegal religious activities, or using religion to undermine China's national unity, ethnic solidarity, religious harmony, or social stability. (4) Conducting unauthorized scripture preaching, sermons, or organizing collective religious activities. (5) Recruiting Chinese citizens as religious followers or appointing religious personnel. (6) Using religion to obstruct the implementation of China's judicial, educational, marital, or social management systems. (7) Producing or selling religious publications, audiovisual materials, electronic publications, or other religious items, or distributing religious propaganda. (8) Accepting religious donations from Chinese organizations or citizens. (9) Organizing religious education or training activities. (10) Conducting illegal religious activities via the internet. (11) Any other religious-related activities that violate Chinese laws.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
