Bibles, already banned from stores, are now disappearing from online retailer websites. Amazon has been warned against the sale of Bibles as an “illegal publication”.
This follows the release of a government White Paper on religion. A “5-year plan” outlines measures to enforce an interpretation of Scripture to affirm and promote “the core values of socialism” within all Christian faith communities and forms of worship. The latest crackdown appears to be an effort to enforce these restrictions across China.
The printing and distribution of Bibles resumed in China in the early 1980s, following the end of the Cultural Revolution.
It is predicted that, by 2030, there could be over 160 million Chinese Christians across all denominations.