In a move drawing concern from religious freedom advocates worldwide, China has enacted new regulations further limiting religious expression, particularly barring foreign Christian missionaries from participating in Christian activities like preaching and training. It also recently appointed two new Catholic bishops without Vatican approval.
The newly revised “Implementation Rules for the Administration of Religious Activities of Foreigners” have introduced sweeping constraints on foreign involvement in Christian worship, education, and charity.
The rules prohibit foreigners from preaching, distributing religious materials beyond personal use, or engaging in faith-based activities without prior state approval.
Foreign missionaries will also be forbidden from organising Bible studies, raising funds, or even accessing online platforms for religious purposes unless cleared by authorities.
Chinese citizens are likewise restricted from participating in such foreign-led activities or receiving religious support from overseas Christian organisations.
Foreigners who breach China’s new religious restrictions risk being fined, deported, or prosecuted.
Even legal religious events must pass through government channels, although permits are seldom approved.
The CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, Henrietta Blyth, commented: “These laws effectively criminalise most forms of Christian witness and missionary work by foreigners in China.
“They are the latest sign that China’s government is determined to bring every expression of Christianity under its control — or erase it.”
Open Doors UK & Ireland, which supports persecuted Christians with both practical aid and spiritual resources, raised concerns about Chinese state interference with the Catholic Church in China, straining an already fragile relationship between Beijing and the Vatican.
Ignoring the required papal approval, the Chinese government recently installed Joseph Huang Bingzhang and Anthony Xu Jiwei as Catholic bishops.
The unilateral decision came shortly after the death of Pope Francis, raising international eyebrows and casting doubt on the 2018 Vatican-China agreement designed to regulate bishop appointments cooperatively.
Observers view the move as a political power play.
Ms Blyth said: “These developments show us that China is not simply trying to manage religion—it is trying to remake it in the image of the Party.
“Christians in China are being cut off from the global Church and placed under growing surveillance and control. The international community must not look away.”
Domestically, the environment for Chinese Christians has been deteriorating for some time under Xi Jinping. The government promotes state-aligned “patriotic churches” while cracking down on house churches, and raids, arrests, and censorship have become commonplace, while Bible distribution is tightly monitored.
China ranks 19th on the Open Doors 2024 World Watch List, which identifies the most challenging places to practise Christianity.
In response, Open Doors is urging the British government and international community to engage diplomatically and apply pressure on Beijing to respect religious liberties.
Ms Blyth added: ““We urge the Church here in the UK to pray — and to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in China.”
