Introduction

The removal of crosses from Christian buildings, the demolition of churches, and the arrest of Christians in China over the past few years has been widely reported. Alongside these violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief, there are a number of new developments which indicate that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has tightened its grip not only on religious symbols, venues and believers, but also on religious publications and information.

Traditionally, the Chinese authorities have maintained tight control over the spread of ideas, especially those they consider to be a challenge to Party ideology. The publishing and dissemination of religious materials are strictly managed by the state, and control over the publication and sale of religious books has increased significantly under the leadership of Xi Jinping.

The rise of e-commerce made it possible for people to buy religious books online. Online publishing and thriving church networks were able, for a time, to facilitate the spread of Christian literature and materials, including foreign language books translated into Chinese. As the cases below illustrate, the authorities are now cracking down on religious materials, thereby restricting access to religious information.

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