Media: In China, missionary activity to be officially banned
As of May 1, foreigners are prohibited from preaching, spreading their faith, or establishing religious organisations without government approval.
New rules published by the Communist Party of China impose serious restrictions on missionary activities in the country, reports the NBO website International Christian Concern. The regulations, which take effect May 1, prohibit foreigners from preaching, sharing their faith, or establishing religious organizations without official government approval.
Chinese state media claim that the recently revised rules contribute to national security (which is a common justification for the persecution of religion by the CPC) and help protect "normal religious activities", referring to activities run under strict government oversight as part of state-run religious institutions.
The protestant Three Self Church and the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association are prominent examples of these state-run institutions. They work to promote CCP propaganda and the personality cult surrounding country President Xi Jinping. Independent house churches, which operate outside the state-sponsored system, are often raided, and their members are arrested on charges of working against the interests of the state.
Earlier this year, the Chinese government published a report boasting about the intensification of persecution against independent religious groups. "China’s public security authorities intensified efforts to dismantle cult organizations in 2024," state media Global Times reported.
China is a world leader in using technology for surveillance and suppressing its citizens. Research has shown that the system tracks every movement of a citizen to gain insight into their loyalty to the CPC.
Chinese government officials use data from the system to monitor and control those they consider dangerous to the state. This includes anyone associated with the movement of unregistered house churches and anyone practicing religion outside of state institutions.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote about the choice between patriotism and uranopolitism.
