Online religious services led by foreigners to be banned in China

China is set to ban foreign-led Christian online activities. It is part of a general crackdown on all religious activities not under the total control of the State.

The Chinese State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA), recently announced the new restrictive measures for churches, organisations and individuals, which will come into force on 1 March 2022.

The measures state that “online preaching should be organized and carried out by religious groups, temples and churches and religious colleges that have obtained the Internet Religious Information Service permit”.

That permit will allow religious leaders “to preach religious doctrines online that are conducive to social harmony and civilization, and guide religious people to be patriotic to the country and abide by the law, only via their own specialized internet websites, applications or forums that are approved by law”.

Religious colleges that has the permit will also be able “to train their students and religious people on their specialized internet websites, applications or forums, approved according to law, which must use a virtual specialized network to connect to the outside world, and verify the identity of personnel participating in the training”.

However, religious ceremonies cannot be broadcast live or recorded online, and organizations or individuals should not fundraise in the name of religion on the internet.

The measures also point out that overseas organizations and individuals or organizations that are set up by foreigners are not allowed to operate online religious information services within the Chinese territory.