Regulations on Religious Affairs

Order of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China No. 686

The Regulations on Religious Affairs were revised and adopted at the 176th Executive Meeting of the State Council on June 14, 2017. The revised Regulations on Religious Affairs are hereby promulgated and shall take effect on February 1, 2018.

Premier: Li Keqiang

August 26, 2017

(Promulgated by Order of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China No. 426 on November 30, 2004, and revised and adopted at the 176th Executive Meeting of the State Council on June 14, 2017)

Chapter 1 General Provisions

Article 1 These Regulations are formulated in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws in order to guarantee citizens’ freedom of religious belief, maintain religious harmony and social harmony, regulate the administration of religious affairs, and raise the level of rule of law in religious work.

Article 2 Citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief.

No organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion, nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in religion (hereinafter “religious citizens”) or citizens who do not believe in religion (hereinafter “non-religious citizens”).

Religious citizens and non-religious citizens, and citizens who believe in different religions, shall respect one another and live in harmony.

Article 3 The administration of religious affairs adheres to the principles of protecting what is lawful, stopping what is unlawful, curbing extremism, resisting infiltration, and combating crime.

Article 4 The State protects normal religious activities according to law, actively guides religion to adapt to socialist society, and safeguards the lawful rights and interests of religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious citizens.

Religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious citizens shall abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations, and rules, practice the core socialist values, and safeguard national unity, ethnic unity, religious harmony, and social stability.

No organization or individual may use religion to carry out illegal activities that endanger national security, disrupt social order, harm citizens’ health, obstruct the national education system, or otherwise harm the interests of the State, the public interest, or the lawful rights and interests of citizens.

No organization or individual may create contradictions and conflicts between different religions, within the same religion, or between religious and non-religious citizens; advocate, support, or fund religious extremism; or use religion to undermine ethnic unity, split the country, or carry out terrorist activities.

Article 5 All religions adhere to the principle of independence and self-governance; religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious affairs are not subject to the control of foreign forces.

Religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious clergy conduct foreign exchanges on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and friendship; other organizations or individuals may not accept any attached religious conditions in foreign economic, cultural, or other cooperation and exchange activities.

Article 6 People’s governments at all levels shall strengthen religious work, establish and improve working mechanisms for religious work, and ensure the workforce and necessary working conditions.

The religious affairs departments of people’s governments at or above the county level shall, according to law, exercise administrative management over religious affairs involving the interests of the State and the public interest; other relevant departments of people’s governments at or above the county level shall be responsible for relevant administrative work according to law within the scope of their respective duties.

Township-level people’s governments shall properly carry out the administration of religious affairs within their administrative areas. Villagers’ committees and residents’ committees shall assist the people’s governments in administering religious affairs according to law.

People’s governments at all levels shall listen to the opinions of religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious citizens, coordinate the administration of religious affairs, and provide public services to religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities.

Chapter 2 Religious Bodies

Article 7 The establishment, alteration, and deregistration of religious bodies shall be registered in accordance with the relevant national provisions on the administration of social organizations.

The charters of religious bodies shall conform to the relevant national provisions on the administration of social organizations.

Activities carried out by religious bodies in accordance with their charters are protected by law.

Article 8 Religious bodies have the following functions:

(1) Assisting the people’s governments in implementing laws, regulations, rules, and policies, and safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of religious citizens;

(2) Guiding religious affairs, and formulating rules and regulations and supervising their implementation;

(3) Engaging in research on religious culture, interpreting religious doctrines and rules, and carrying out the development of religious thought;

(4) Conducting religious education and training, training religious clergy, and accrediting and managing religious clergy;

(5) Other functions provided for by laws, regulations, rules, and the charters of religious bodies.

Article 9 National religious bodies and religious bodies of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government may, according to the needs of their religion and in accordance with regulations, select and send students to study religion abroad and receive foreign students of religion; no other organization or individual may select and send or receive students of religion.

Article 10 Religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious clergy shall abide by the rules and regulations formulated by religious bodies.

Chapter 3 Religious Schools

Article 11 Religious schools are established by national religious bodies or by religious bodies of provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the central government. No other organization or individual may establish a religious school.

Article 12 To establish a religious school, a national religious body shall apply to the religious affairs department of the State Council, or a religious body of a province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government shall apply to the religious affairs department of the people’s government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality where the school is to be established. The religious affairs department of the people’s government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality shall give its opinion within 30 days of receiving the application and report to the religious affairs department of the State Council for examination and approval.

The religious affairs department of the State Council shall decide whether or not to approve within 60 days of receiving the application from the national religious body or the materials submitted by the religious affairs department of the people’s government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality.

Article 13 To establish a religious school, the following conditions shall be met:

(1) Clear training objectives, a school charter, and a curriculum plan;

(2) A source of students meeting the training requirements;

(3) Necessary funds for running the school and a stable source of funding;

(4) The teaching premises, facilities, and equipment necessary for the teaching tasks and the scale of the school;

(5) Full-time heads of the school, qualified full-time teachers, and an internal management organization;

(6) A reasonable layout.

Article 14 A religious school established with approval may apply for registration as a legal person in accordance with relevant provisions.

Article 15 Changes by a religious school to its site, name, affiliation, training objectives, length of schooling, scale, and the like, as well as its merger, division, or termination, shall be handled in accordance with the procedure provided for in Article 12 of these Regulations.

Article 16 Religious schools implement specific systems of teacher qualification, professional title evaluation and appointment, and conferral of degrees on students; the specific measures are formulated separately by the religious affairs department of the State Council.

Article 17 A religious school employing foreign professionals shall, after obtaining the consent of the religious affairs department of the State Council, complete the relevant procedures with the local department for the administration of foreigners’ employment.

Article 18 Religious education and training carried out by religious bodies and by Buddhist monasteries, Taoist temples, mosques, and churches (hereinafter “monasteries, temples, mosques, and churches”) to train religious clergy, with a study period of 3 months or more, shall be reported to the religious affairs department of the local people’s government at or above the level of a districted city for examination and approval.

Chapter 4 Venues for Religious Activities

Article 19 Venues for religious activities include monasteries, temples, mosques, and churches and other fixed places for religious activities.

The criteria for distinguishing monasteries, temples, mosques, and churches from other fixed places for religious activities are formulated by the religious affairs departments of the people’s governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government and filed with the religious affairs department of the State Council.

Article 20 To establish a venue for religious activities, the following conditions shall be met:

(1) The purpose of establishment does not contravene the provisions of Articles 4 and 5 of these Regulations;

(2) Local religious citizens have a need to hold collective religious activities regularly;

(3) There are religious clergy, or other persons meeting the requirements of the religion, to preside over religious activities;

(4) The necessary funds are available and come from lawful sources;

(5) The layout is reasonable, meets urban and rural planning requirements, and does not hinder the normal production and life of surrounding units and residents.

Article 21 To prepare to establish a venue for religious activities, a religious body shall apply to the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government where the venue is to be established. The religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government shall give its review opinion within 30 days of receiving the application and report to the religious affairs department of the people’s government of the districted city.

The religious affairs department of the people’s government of the districted city shall, within 30 days of receiving the materials submitted by the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government, decide whether or not to approve applications to establish other fixed places for religious activities; for applications to establish monasteries, temples, mosques, or churches, it shall give its review opinion and report to the religious affairs department of the people’s government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government for examination and approval.

The religious affairs department of the people’s government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government shall decide whether or not to approve within 30 days of receiving the materials submitted by the religious affairs department of the people’s government of the districted city.

Only after the application to establish a venue for religious activities has been approved may matters relating to the preparation and construction of the venue be handled.

Article 22 After a venue for religious activities has been approved for preparation and its construction completed, it shall apply for registration to the religious affairs department of the local county-level people’s government. The religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government shall, within 30 days of receiving the application, review the venue’s management organization, rules and regulations, and other matters, register it if it meets the conditions, and issue a Registration Certificate for a Venue for Religious Activities.

Article 23 A venue for religious activities that meets the conditions for a legal person may, with the consent of the local religious body and after review and approval by the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government, register as a legal person with the civil affairs department.

Article 24 Where a venue for religious activities terminates or changes the content of its registration, it shall complete the corresponding deregistration or change of registration procedures with the original registration authority.

Article 25 A venue for religious activities shall establish a management organization and practice democratic management. The members of the management organization of a venue for religious activities are elected through democratic consultation and filed with the venue’s registration authority.

Article 26 A venue for religious activities shall strengthen its internal management, establish and improve management systems for personnel, finance, assets, accounting, public security, fire protection, protection of cultural relics, health and epidemic prevention, and so on in accordance with the provisions of relevant laws, regulations, and rules, and accept the guidance, supervision, and inspection of the relevant departments of the local people’s government.

Article 27 The religious affairs departments shall supervise and inspect venues for religious activities with regard to their compliance with laws, regulations, and rules, the establishment and implementation of their management systems, changes to registered items, and their religious and foreign-related activities. Venues for religious activities shall accept the supervision and inspection of the religious affairs departments.

Article 28 Religious articles, religious artworks, and religious publications may be sold within venues for religious activities.

Article 29 Venues for religious activities shall guard against the occurrence on their premises of major accidents, or of incidents such as violations of religious taboos that hurt the religious feelings of religious citizens, undermine ethnic unity, or affect social stability.

When an accident or incident listed in the preceding paragraph occurs, the venue for religious activities shall immediately report it to the religious affairs department of the local county-level people’s government.

Article 30 Where a religious body or a monastery, temple, mosque, or church intends to build a large outdoor religious statue within the grounds of a monastery, temple, mosque, or church, the religious body of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government shall apply to the religious affairs department of the people’s government of the province, autonomous region, or municipality. That department shall give its opinion within 30 days of receiving the application and report to the religious affairs department of the State Council for examination and approval.

The religious affairs department of the State Council shall decide whether or not to approve within 60 days of receiving the report on building the large outdoor religious statue.

Organizations other than religious bodies and monasteries, temples, mosques, and churches, as well as individuals, may not build large outdoor religious statues.

The building of large outdoor religious statues outside the grounds of monasteries, temples, mosques, and churches is prohibited.

Article 31 Relevant units and individuals setting up commercial service outlets, holding exhibitions, filming movies or television programs, or carrying out other activities within a venue for religious activities shall obtain the prior consent of that venue.

Article 32 Local people’s governments at all levels shall, according to actual needs, incorporate the construction of venues for religious activities into overall land-use plans and urban and rural plans.

The construction of venues for religious activities and large outdoor religious statues shall comply with overall land-use plans, urban and rural plans, and relevant laws and regulations on engineering construction, protection of cultural relics, and so on.

Article 33 The reconstruction of existing buildings or construction of new buildings within a venue for religious activities shall, after approval by the religious affairs department of the local people’s government at or above the county level, go through planning, construction, and other procedures according to law.

The expansion of a venue for religious activities, or its reconstruction at a different site, shall be handled in accordance with the procedure provided for in Article 21 of these Regulations.

Article 34 Where there is a venue for religious activities within a scenic area, the local people’s government at or above the county level shall coordinate and handle the relationships of interest between the venue and the scenic area’s management organization and the landscaping, forestry, cultural heritage, tourism, and other sectors, safeguard the lawful rights and interests of the venue for religious activities, religious clergy, and religious citizens, and protect normal religious activities.

The planning and construction of scenic areas whose main attractions are venues for religious activities shall be in harmony with the style and environment of those venues.

Article 35 Where religious citizens need to hold regular collective religious activities but do not yet meet the conditions to apply to establish a venue for religious activities, representatives of the religious citizens shall apply to the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government, which may, after seeking the opinions of the local religious body and the township-level people’s government, designate a temporary activity site for them.

Under the guidance of the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government, the local township-level people’s government supervises the activities at the temporary activity site. Once the conditions for establishing a venue for religious activities are met, the procedures for approval and registration of the venue shall be completed.

Religious activities at temporary activity sites shall comply with the relevant provisions of these Regulations.

Chapter 5 Religious Clergy

Article 36 Religious clergy accredited by a religious body and filed with the religious affairs department of the people’s government at or above the county level may engage in religious affairs.

The succession of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism is handled under the guidance of the Buddhist body and in accordance with religious rituals and historical conventions, and is reported for approval to the religious affairs department of the people’s government at or above the provincial level or to the people’s government at or above the provincial level. Catholic bishops are filed by the national Catholic religious body with the religious affairs department of the State Council.

Those who have not obtained, or have lost, the qualification of religious clergy may not carry out activities in the capacity of religious clergy.

Article 37 When religious clergy assume or leave the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities, this shall be filed with the religious affairs department of the people’s government at or above the county level after the consent of the religious body of that religion has been obtained.

Article 38 Activities of religious clergy such as presiding over religious activities, holding religious ceremonies, collating religious scriptures, conducting research on religious culture, and carrying out public welfare and charitable work are protected by law.

Article 39 Religious clergy participate in social security according to law and enjoy the related rights. Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities shall register religious clergy for social insurance in accordance with regulations.

Chapter 6 Religious Activities

Article 40 Collective religious activities of religious citizens shall generally be held within venues for religious activities, organized by venues for religious activities, religious bodies, or religious schools, presided over by religious clergy or other persons meeting the requirements of the religion, and conducted in accordance with religious doctrines and rules.

Article 41 Entities that are not religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, or designated temporary activity sites may not organize or hold religious activities or accept religious donations.

Entities that are not religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities may not conduct religious education and training or organize citizens to go abroad to take part in religious training, conferences, activities, and the like.

Article 42 For large-scale religious activities that cross provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the central government and exceed the capacity of a venue for religious activities, or that are held outside venues for religious activities, the sponsoring religious body or monastery, temple, mosque, or church shall, 30 days before the proposed date, apply to the religious affairs department of the people’s government of the districted city where the activity is to be held. That department shall, within 15 days of accepting the application and after seeking the opinion of the public security organ of the people’s government at the same level, decide whether or not to approve. Where it approves, the approving authority shall file the approval with the religious affairs department of the provincial-level people’s government.

Large-scale religious activities shall be conducted according to religious rituals in accordance with the requirements stated in the notice of approval, and may not violate the relevant provisions of Articles 4 and 5 of these Regulations. The sponsoring religious body or monastery, temple, mosque, or church shall take effective measures to prevent accidents and ensure that the large-scale religious activity proceeds safely and in an orderly way. The township-level people’s government and the relevant departments of local people’s governments at or above the county level where the large-scale religious activity is held shall carry out the necessary management and guidance according to their respective duties.

Article 43 The pilgrimage abroad of Chinese citizens who believe in Islam is organized by the national Islamic religious body.

Article 44 Proselytizing, holding religious activities, establishing religious organizations, or setting up venues for religious activities in schools and other educational institutions other than religious schools is prohibited.

Article 45 Religious bodies, religious schools, and monasteries, temples, mosques, and churches may compile, print, and distribute internal religious reference publications in accordance with relevant national provisions. The publication of religious publications for public distribution shall be handled in accordance with national provisions on publishing administration.

Publications involving religious content shall comply with national provisions on publishing administration and may not contain the following content:

(1) Content undermining harmonious coexistence between religious and non-religious citizens;

(2) Content undermining harmony between different religions or within a religion;

(3) Content discriminating against or insulting religious or non-religious citizens;

(4) Content advocating religious extremism;

(5) Content contrary to the principle of religious independence and self-governance.

Article 46 The entry into China of religious publications and printed matter in excess of a reasonable quantity for personal use, or the import of religious publications and printed matter by other means, shall be handled in accordance with relevant national provisions.

Article 47 Those engaging in internet religious information services shall, after review and approval by the religious affairs department of the people’s government at or above the provincial level, complete procedures in accordance with the relevant national provisions on the administration of internet information services.

Article 48 The content of internet religious information services shall comply with relevant laws, regulations, and rules and the relevant provisions on the administration of religious affairs.

The content of internet religious information services may not violate the provisions of Paragraph 2 of Article 45 of these Regulations.

Chapter 7 Religious Property

Article 49 Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities shall manage and use property owned by the State or by collectives that they lawfully occupy in accordance with the law and relevant national provisions; they enjoy ownership or other property rights over their other lawful property according to law.

Article 50 The land lawfully used by religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities, the houses, structures, and facilities they lawfully own or use, and their other lawful property and income are protected by law.

No organization or individual may encroach upon, loot, privately divide, damage, or unlawfully seal up, seize, freeze, confiscate, or dispose of the lawful property of religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities, or damage the cultural relics occupied or used by religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities.

Article 51 Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities shall apply according to law to the real estate registration agencies of local people’s governments at or above the county level for registration of real estate such as the houses they own and the land they use, and obtain real estate title certificates; where property rights are changed or transferred, change or transfer registration shall be completed promptly.

When the land-use rights of religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities are changed or transferred, the real estate registration agency shall seek the opinion of the religious affairs department of the people’s government at the same level.

Article 52 Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities are non-profit organizations; their property and income shall be used for activities consistent with their purposes and for public welfare and charitable undertakings, and may not be distributed.

Article 53 Any organization or individual that donates funds to build a venue for religious activities does not enjoy ownership or use rights over that venue and may not derive economic benefit from it.

Investing in, or contracting to operate, venues for religious activities or large outdoor religious statues is prohibited, as is commercial promotion in the name of religion.

Article 54 The houses and structures of venues for religious activities used for religious activities, and the ancillary living quarters of religious clergy, may not be transferred, mortgaged, or used as in-kind investment.

Article 55 Where, for the needs of the public interest, houses of religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities are expropriated, this shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant national provisions on housing expropriation. Religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities may choose monetary compensation or may choose an exchange of property rights or reconstruction.

Article 56 Religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious clergy may establish public welfare and charitable undertakings according to law.

No organization or individual may use public welfare or charitable activities to proselytize.

Article 57 Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities may, in accordance with relevant national provisions, accept donations from organizations and individuals in China and abroad for activities consistent with their purposes.

Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities may not accept donations with attached conditions from organizations and individuals outside China; where a donation received exceeds 100,000 yuan, it shall be reported to the religious affairs department of the people’s government at or above the county level for examination and approval.

Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities may accept donations from citizens according to religious custom, but may not compel or apportion them.

Article 58 Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities shall implement the unified national financial, asset, and accounting systems, report their financial status, income and expenditure, and receipt and use of donations to the religious affairs department of the local people’s government at or above the county level, accept its supervision and management, and make this information public to religious citizens in an appropriate manner. The religious affairs departments shall share relevant management information with the relevant departments.

Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities shall, in accordance with relevant national financial and accounting systems, establish and improve systems of accounting, financial reporting, financial disclosure, and so on, establish and improve financial management bodies, staff the necessary financial and accounting personnel, and strengthen financial management.

The relevant government departments may organize financial and asset inspections and audits of religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities.

Article 59 Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities shall complete tax registration according to law.

Religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious clergy shall file tax returns according to law and enjoy tax preferences in accordance with relevant national provisions.

The tax departments shall carry out tax administration over religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, and religious clergy according to law.

Article 60 Where a religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities is deregistered or terminated, its property shall be liquidated, and the property remaining after liquidation shall be used for undertakings consistent with its purposes.

Chapter 8 Legal Liability

Article 61 Where state functionaries abuse their power, neglect their duties, or engage in malpractice for personal gain in the administration of religious affairs, and disciplinary sanctions are warranted, sanctions shall be imposed according to law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Article 62 Where anyone compels citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, religion, or interferes with the normal religious activities of religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities, the religious affairs department shall order corrections; where there is conduct violating public security administration, public security administrative penalties shall be imposed according to law.

Anyone who infringes the lawful rights and interests of religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, or religious citizens shall bear civil liability according to law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Article 63 Where anyone advocates, supports, or funds religious extremism, or uses religion to carry out illegal activities that endanger national security or public safety, undermine ethnic unity, split the country, or constitute terrorist activities, infringe citizens’ personal or democratic rights, obstruct the order of social administration, or infringe public or private property, and a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law; where no crime is constituted, administrative penalties shall be imposed by the relevant departments according to law; where losses are caused to citizens, legal persons, or other organizations, civil liability shall be borne according to law.

Where a religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities engages in the conduct described in the preceding paragraph and the circumstances are serious, the relevant departments shall take the necessary measures to rectify it; if it refuses to accept rectification, the registration authority or the authority that approved its establishment shall revoke its registration certificate or establishment permit according to law.

Article 64 Where, in the course of a large-scale religious activity, circumstances arise that endanger national security or public safety or seriously disrupt social order, the relevant departments shall deal with them and impose penalties in accordance with laws and regulations; where the sponsoring religious body or monastery, temple, mosque, or church bears responsibility, the registration authority shall order it to replace its principal person in charge, and where the circumstances are serious, the registration authority shall revoke its registration certificate.

Where a large-scale religious activity is held without authorization, the religious affairs department, together with the relevant departments, shall order the activity to cease and may concurrently impose a fine of not less than 100,000 yuan and not more than 300,000 yuan; any illegal gains and illegal property shall be confiscated. Where the large-scale religious activity was held without authorization by a religious body or venue for religious activities, the registration authority may also order that religious body or venue to replace the directly responsible person in charge.

Article 65 Where a religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities commits any of the following acts, the religious affairs department shall order corrections; where the circumstances are relatively serious, the registration authority or the authority that approved its establishment shall order the religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities to replace the directly responsible person in charge; where the circumstances are serious, the registration authority or the authority that approved its establishment shall order it to cease its day-to-day activities, reorganize its management organization, and rectify within a set time limit, and if it refuses to rectify, its registration certificate or establishment permit shall be revoked according to law; any illegal gains and illegal property shall be confiscated:

(1) Failing to complete change of registration or filing procedures as required;

(2) A religious school violating the requirements of its training objectives, school charter, or curriculum;

(3) A venue for religious activities, in violation of Article 26 of these Regulations, failing to establish the relevant management systems, or having management systems that do not meet requirements;

(4) A venue for religious activities, in violation of Article 54 of these Regulations, transferring, mortgaging, or using as in-kind investment the houses and structures used for religious activities or the ancillary living quarters of religious clergy;

(5) Failing to report promptly a major accident or major incident occurring within a venue for religious activities, causing serious consequences;

(6) Violating the principle of religious independence and self-governance, in violation of Article 5 of these Regulations;

(7) Accepting donations from within or outside China in violation of relevant national provisions;

(8) Refusing to accept supervision and management carried out according to law by administrative authorities.

Article 66 Where activities at a temporary activity site violate the relevant provisions of these Regulations, the religious affairs department shall order corrections; where the circumstances are serious, it shall order the activities to cease and revoke the temporary activity site; any illegal gains and illegal property shall be confiscated.

Article 67 Where religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities violate national provisions on financial, accounting, asset, or tax administration, the finance, tax, and other departments shall impose penalties in accordance with the relevant provisions; where the circumstances are serious, the registration authority or the authority that approved the establishment shall, upon the proposal of the finance or tax department, revoke the registration certificate or establishment permit.

Article 68 Where publications involving religious content or internet religious information services contain content prohibited by Paragraph 2 of Article 45 of these Regulations, the relevant departments shall impose administrative penalties on the responsible units and persons according to law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Anyone who engages in internet religious information services without authorization, or provides services beyond the approved or filed items, shall be dealt with by the relevant departments in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Article 69 Where a venue for religious activities is established without authorization, where a venue for religious activities continues to conduct religious activities after its registration has been cancelled or its registration certificate revoked, or where a religious school is established without authorization, the religious affairs department, together with the relevant departments, shall ban it; any illegal gains and illegal property shall be confiscated, and where the illegal gains cannot be determined, a fine of not more than 50,000 yuan shall be imposed; illegal houses and structures shall be dealt with by the planning, construction, and other departments according to law; where there is conduct violating public security administration, public security administrative penalties shall be imposed according to law.

Where entities that are not religious bodies, religious schools, venues for religious activities, or designated temporary activity sites organize or hold religious activities or accept religious donations, the religious affairs department, together with the public security, civil affairs, construction, education, culture, tourism, cultural heritage, and other relevant departments, shall order the activities to cease; any illegal gains and illegal property shall be confiscated, and a fine of not less than one time and not more than three times the illegal gains may be concurrently imposed; where the illegal gains cannot be determined, a fine of not more than 50,000 yuan shall be imposed; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Article 70 Where anyone organizes citizens without authorization to go abroad to take part in religious training, conferences, pilgrimages, or other activities, or conducts religious education and training without authorization, the religious affairs department, together with the relevant departments, shall order the activities to cease and may concurrently impose a fine of not less than 20,000 yuan and not more than 200,000 yuan; any illegal gains shall be confiscated; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Where anyone proselytizes, holds religious activities, establishes religious organizations, or sets up venues for religious activities in schools and other educational institutions other than religious schools, the authority that approved the institution or other relevant departments shall order corrections within a set time limit and issue a warning; any illegal gains shall be confiscated; where the circumstances are serious, the institution shall be ordered to stop enrolling students and its school-running permit shall be revoked; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Article 71 Where anyone provides conditions for illegal religious activities, the religious affairs department shall issue a warning; any illegal gains and illegal property shall be confiscated, and where the circumstances are serious, a fine of not less than 20,000 yuan and not more than 200,000 yuan shall be concurrently imposed; illegal houses and structures shall be dealt with by the planning, construction, and other departments according to law; where there is conduct violating public security administration, public security administrative penalties shall be imposed according to law.

Article 72 Where a large outdoor religious statue is built in violation of these Regulations, the religious affairs department, together with the land and resources, planning, construction, tourism, and other departments, shall order construction to stop and the statue to be demolished within a set time limit; any illegal gains shall be confiscated; where the circumstances are serious, a fine of not less than 5 percent and not more than 10 percent of the construction cost of the statue shall be concurrently imposed.

Where anyone invests in or contracts to operate a venue for religious activities or a large outdoor religious statue, the religious affairs department, together with the industry and commerce, planning, construction, and other departments, shall order corrections and confiscate the illegal gains; where the circumstances are serious, the registration authority shall revoke the registration certificate of the venue for religious activities and pursue the liability of the persons concerned according to law.

Article 73 Where religious clergy commit any of the following acts, the religious affairs department shall issue a warning and confiscate illegal gains and illegal property; where the circumstances are serious, the religious affairs department shall propose that the relevant religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities suspend them from presiding over religious affairs or revoke their status as religious clergy, and the responsibility of the persons in charge of the relevant religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities shall be pursued; where there is conduct violating public security administration, public security administrative penalties shall be imposed according to law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law:

(1) Advocating, supporting, or funding religious extremism, undermining ethnic unity, splitting the country, carrying out terrorist activities, or taking part in related activities;

(2) Being controlled by foreign forces, accepting without authorization a clerical appointment from a religious body or institution outside China, or otherwise violating the principle of religious independence and self-governance;

(3) Accepting donations from within or outside China in violation of relevant national provisions;

(4) Organizing or presiding over unapproved religious activities held outside venues for religious activities;

(5) Other acts violating laws, regulations, or rules.

Article 74 Where anyone impersonates religious clergy to carry out religious activities or illegal activities such as swindling money, the religious affairs department shall order the activities to cease; any illegal gains and illegal property shall be confiscated, and a fine of not more than 10,000 yuan shall be concurrently imposed; where there is conduct violating public security administration, public security administrative penalties shall be imposed according to law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.

Article 75 Anyone dissatisfied with an administrative act of a religious affairs department may apply for administrative reconsideration according to law; anyone dissatisfied with the decision on administrative reconsideration may bring an administrative lawsuit according to law.

Chapter 9 Supplementary Provisions

Article 76 Religious exchanges between the mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, and the Taiwan region shall be handled in accordance with laws, administrative regulations, and relevant national provisions.

Article 77 These Regulations shall take effect on February 1, 2018.