China tightens religious regulations in Mainland and beyond
Religious organisations in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan will now be more tightly controlled under new rules issued by the National Religious Affairs Administration, which restrict youth evangelisation and online content.
The Regulations on the Online Behaviour of Religious Clergy, released September 15, lay out 18 articles governing what clerics may and may not do. They include bans on self-promotion, fundraising, youth camps, and even the use of artificial intelligence for religious purposes.
Groups that fail to comply risk penalties, suspension of credentials, and possible criminal investigation. They are also required to align religious doctrine with state ideology under the principle of “Sinicisation.”
“Religious clergy engaging in online activities should love the motherland, support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, uphold the socialist system, follow national laws and regulations, and adhere to relevant provisions on managing religious affairs,” according to Article 2 of the rules translated to English by religious rights magazine Bitter Winter.
Further provisions tighten political control: Article 7 states that organisations are banned from publishing content that “incites subversion of state power, opposes the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, [and] undermines the socialist system.”
The measures also restrict where preaching can take place. Article 5 limits online religious activity to official websites, apps, forums and platforms that have secured an Internet Religious Information Services Licence. Personal social media accounts, livestreams and private groups are explicitly forbidden.
According to Bitter Winter, the rules also extend to youth activities.
“Clergy may not evangelize to underage users or organize youth religious camps or training,” it reported. The same provision bans attempts to commercialise religious life, including fundraising, merchandise sales, or monetising online religious activities.
Technology is not exempt. Generative artificial intelligence cannot be used to produce or disseminate religious content.
National security is a key theme underpinning the new rules, with provisions forbidding foreign “religious infiltration,” extremist teachings, and even fortune-telling or astrology.
The rules also restrict worship itself, outlawing livestreamed sermons, online rituals, and even meditation sessions unless conducted on state-approved platforms.
Beijing formally recognises five faiths: Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism and Taoism.
Controls across these beliefs are stern, with activities such as proselytising and Sunday schools facing bans. Groups outside the recognised framework, including Falun Gong, remain outlawed.
Under Xi Jinping, enforcement of these rules has hardened. Rights groups say more than a million Uyghurs have been detained in camps in Xinjiang, accusations China rejects as “counter-terrorism” measures.
Christians worshipping in unauthorised “house churches” and underground Catholic clergy have also faced arrests, keeping China high on global rankings for religious restrictions.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
