Factsheet on Regulation for Religious Groups in China

Click here to view the February 2020 Factsheet on Regulation for Religious Groups in China

On February 1, 2020, the Chinese government’s Administrative Measures for Religious Groups went into effect. This regulation requires religious groups to obtain government permission for nearly every aspect of their operations. In addition, they must accept and teach the principles of the Chinese Communist Party. This factsheet provides a brief overview of the new regulation and explains why it marks a significant escalation in the Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown on religious freedom.

In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate China as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) due to its systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom.