Regulation on Religious Affairs
Order of the State Council No.426
November 30, 2004
The "Regulation on Religious Affairs", which was adopted at the 57th executive meeting of the State Council on July 7, 2004, is hereby promulgated and shall come into force on March 1, 2005.
Premier Wen Jiabao
Regulation on Religious Affairs
Article 1 This Regulation is formulated in accordance with the Constitution and the relevant laws so as to guarantee the citizens' freedom of religious belief, maintain religious and social harmony, and regulate the administration of religious affairs.
Article 2 Citizens shall have the freedom of religious belief.
No organization or individual shall compel citizens to believe in or not to believe in any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in any religion (hereinafter referred to as citizens believing in religion) or citizens who do not believe in any religion (hereinafter referred to as citizens not believing in religion).
The citizens believing in religion, the citizens not believing in religion, and the citizens believing in different religions shall respect each other and live in harmony.
Article 3 The State lawfully protects the normal religious activities, maintain the religious bodies and religious activity sites, as well as the lawful rights and interests of the citizens believing in religion.
The religious bodies, religious activity sites, and citizens believing in religion shall abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations and rules, as well as maintain the unity of the State, the solidarity of the nations, and social stability.
No organization or individual may make use of religion to destroy the social order, harm the health of citizens, obstruct the educational system of the State, or carry out other activities that harm the benefits of the State, public benefits, or lawful rights and interests of citizens.
Article 4 All religions shall adhere to the principles of maintaining their independence, relying on themselves respectively, and holding their respective religions on their own. No religious body, religious activity site or religious affair shall be dominated by foreign force.
Religious bodies, religious activity sites and religion undertaking personnel shall interact with foreign parties on the basis of friendliness and equality. Other organizations or individuals may not accept additional religious conditions in economic or cultural cooperation or communications with foreign parties.
Article 5 The department for religious affairs under the people's government at the county level or above shall lawfully administer the religious affairs involving the benefits of the State or of the public, while other relevant departments under the people's government at the county level or above shall lawfully administer the relevant affairs within the scope of their respective duties.
The people's government at each level shall listen to the opinions of religious bodies, of religious activity sites, and of citizens believing in religion, as well as coordinate the administration of religious affairs.
Chapter II Religious Bodies
Article 6 For the sake of establishing, modifying or canceling a religious body, the party concerned shall go through the registration procedures in accordance with the Administrative Regulations on Registration of Social Organizations.
The articles of association of a religious body shall conform to the relevant provisions in the Administrative Regulations on Registration of Social Organizations.
A religious body shall be protected by law when carrying out activities in accordance with its articles of association.
Article 7 A religious body may, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State, compile and print its internal documental religious publications. When the religious body publishes publicly distributed religious publications, it shall comply with the provisions of the State on the administration of publication.
A publication involving religious contents shall conform to the Regulation on the Administration of Publication, and may not contain any of the following contents:
1. that which destroys the peace and harmony between the citizens believing in religion and those not believing in religion;
2. that which destroys the peace and harmony between different religions or the internal peace and harmony within one religion;
3. that which discriminates against or insults the citizens believing in religion or the citizens not believing in religion;
4. that which propagates religion extremism; and
5. that which violates such principles for religions as maintaining their independence, relying on themselves respectively, and holding their respective religions on their own.
Article 8 For the sake of establishing a religious institution or college, a national religious body shall file an application to the department for religious affairs under the State Council, or the religious body of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government shall file an application to the department for religious affairs under the people's government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government where the religious institution or college under planned establishment will be located. The department for religious affairs under the people's government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government shall provide its opinions within 30 days as of receipt of the application. If it intents to consent to the application, it shall report the said application to the department for religious affairs under the State Council for approval.
The department for religious affairs under the State Council shall, within 60 days as of receipt of the application of the national religious body, or as of receipt of the report from the department for religious affairs under the people's government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the Central Government on establishing the religious institution or college, make a decision on whether to grant the approval or not.
Article 9 For the establishment of a religious institution or college, the establisher shall meet the following conditions:
1.
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