Article 1 These Rules are formulated in accordance with the Provisions on the Administration of Religious Activities of Aliens within the Territory of the People’s Republic of China.

Article 2 Aliens within the territory of the People’s Republic of China are referred to as those who are within Chinese territory without Chinese nationalities pursuant to the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China, including the long-term residing China personnel and the short-term visiting China personnel.

Article 3 Religious activities of aliens within Chinese territory are referred to as the religious ceremonies that aliens conduct or participate according to their own religious belief customs, the contacts with Chinese religious bodies, sites for religious activities and religious personnel in respect of religion, and other relevant activities.

Article 4 The People’s Republic of China respects the freedom of religious belief of aliens within Chinese territory, and protects and administrates the religious activities of aliens within Chinese territory in accordance with law. The People’s Republic of China protects friendly contacts and cultural and academic exchanges of aliens within Chinese territory with Chinese religious circles in respect of religion in accordance with law.

Article 5 Aliens may participate in religious activities at lawfully registered Buddhist monasteries, Taoist temples, mosques, churches within Chinese territory according to their own religious belief.

Article 6 At the invitation of Chinese religious bodies at or above the level of province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government, aliens visiting China as religious personnel may preach and expound the scripture at lawfully registered sites for religious activities.

At the invitation of Chinese religious bodies at or above the level of province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government, and after the approval by the departments of religious affairs of the people’s governments at or above the provincial level, aliens entering China as other status may preach and expound the scripture at lawfully registered sites for religious activities.

Foreign religious personnel who are invited to preach and expound the scripture at the lawfully registered sites for religious activities shall abide by the administrative rules of these sites and respect the belief customs of the personnel of these sites.

Article 7 The collective religious activities of aliens within Chinese territory shall be conducted at the Buddhist monasteries, Taoist temples, churches recognized by the departments of religious affairs of the people’s government at or above the county level, or at the temporary sites appointed by the departments of religious affairs of the people’s governments of province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government.

Where aliens within Chinese territory collectively conduct religious activities at temporary sites, they shall be administrated by the departments of religious affairs of the people’s governments at or above the county level.

Article 8 The friendly contacts and cultural and academic exchanges of aliens with Chinese religious circles shall be conducted via Chinese religious bodies at or above the level of province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government.

Article 9 Foreign religious organizations that have no corresponding legitimate religious organizations within Chinese territory and their members must get the consent from the departments of religious affairs of the people’s governments at provincial level and the approval from the State Administration for Religious Affairs before conducting contacts in the name of these organizations or as religious personnel with relevant departments of Chinese government or Chinese religious circles.

Article 10 Following consent by Chinese religious bodies, aliens within Chinese territory may invite Chinese religious personnel to conduct such religious ceremonies as baptism, wedding, funeral, Taoist or Buddhist rites according to each religious customs. Among these ceremonies, the aliens conducting wedding must be the male and female who have already set up marriage relationship in accordance with law.