Translation:Administrative Rules for the Religious Activities of Foreigners within the borders of the People's Republic of China

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(Promulgated on January 31st 1994 by order number 144 of the State Council)

Article 1: In order to maintain the religious freedom of foreigners within the borders of the People’s Republic of China, to protect the interests of public society, and in accordance with the constitution, these rules are set.

Article 2: The People’s Republic of China respects the religious freedom of foreigners within the borders of China, and it protects the friendly relations and cultural exchanges involving religion between foreigners and the Chinese religious sphere.

Article 3: Foreigners at temples, Taoist temples, mosques, churches and other religious activity centres within the borders of China, may participate in religious activities, and through the invitation of the provincial, autonomous regional or directly-administered municipal religious association, foreigners may give sermons or preach within Chinese religious activity centres.

Article 4: Foreigners may hold religious activities for foreign participants at locations that are approved by a county-level or higher People’s government’s religious affairs department.

Article 5: Foreigners within the borders of China, may invite Chinese religious ministers to perform baptisms, weddings, funerals, Buddhist or Taoist rites, or other religious ceremonies.

Article 6: Chinese people who cross into the borders of China, may carry with them religious publications for personal use, audio or visual products of a religious nature as well as other types of religious articles; religious publications, audio or visual products of a religious nature as well as other types of religious articles that are brought into the borders of China, which are intended for the use of more people than the person carrying the items, shall be dealt with in accordance with the relevant rules of China Customs. It is forbidden to carry into China: religious publications, audio or visual products of a religious nature, which harm the public interests of Chinese society.

Article 7: Foreigners who recruit students for religious ministry within the borders of China, or who study or teach at religious schools in China, shall conduct themselves in accordance with the relevant rules of China.

Article 8: Foreigners who engage in religious activities within the borders of China, should observe China’s laws and statutes, and they must not create religious organizations within the borders of China, set up offices, set up religious activity centres or open religious schools, they must not convert Chinese citizens, create religious ministers or engage in other kinds of missionary activities.

Article 9: Foreigners who violate these rules by engaging in religious activities, should be warned and stopped by a county-level or higher People’s government’s religious affairs department and other related departments; those who have performed acts that are in violation of the exit-entry administration for foreigners or the public security administration, shall be given legal punishment by the public security organization; those who are liable for criminal charges, shall be the responsibility of the judicial authority to conduct an investigation into criminal responsibility in accordance with the law.

Article 10: Religious activities of foreign organizations within the borders of the People’s Republic of China shall be subject to these rules.

Article 11: Expatriate Chinese citizens within the borders of China, residents of Taiwan within the mainland, residents of Hong Kong and Macao within the interior, who engage in religious activities, shall be subject to these rules.

Article 12: The authority to interpret these rules belongs to the State Council’s religious affairs department.

Article 13: These rules enter into force immediately upon the date of pronouncement.