As the Chinese Communist Party imposes restrictions on religious content in Hong Kong, a shortage of Bibles is being reported in the city where its high degree of autonomy was ended two years ago with the enactment of the National Security Law.
Printing companies fear that printing Bibles without government approval might lead to trouble with authorities, according to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern.
The Chinese government recently declared that Christians must first register and gain approval by the State to post religious content online, adding that the regulation is aimed at controlling and aligning religion with the party’s political ideology and goals, a process often referred to as “Sinicization.”
Last month, editors of The Wall Street Journal warned that the end of the freedom of speech, assembly and the press in Hong Kong means “there’s good reason to fear religious liberty will be the next target.”
“The Communist Party has installed Xia Baolong—who presided over a crackdown on Catholic and Protestant churches —as the head of its Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. Communist Party chief Xi Jinping has tightened control over religion in China to a degree not seen since Mao.”
Also last month, the Vatican’s unofficial representative in Hong Kong was reported to have warned Catholic missions in the city that tough days were ahead for them as China was increasingly restricting religious freedom.