China Restricts Foreign Aid to Religious Charities

March 15, 2012

Chinese religious charity groups must now do their work without the help of foreign donations, Christianity Today reports. China's State Administration for Religious Affairs recently endorsed new regulations stating that non-government-affiliated religious charities "should stick to the principle of self-financing, and be free from the influence of external forces." In addition, religious groups "are not allowed to spread their beliefs or undermine national interests" through charitable activities. According to AsiaNews, the aim of the new restrictions "is to stop the flow of money to the Islamic groups and the Tibetans: these groups ... have a strong political aspect that the government wants to slow down at all costs."