A China-based Christian group announced that it had printed 50
million Bibles, mainly for Chinese believers.
Ye Xiaowen, head of the State Administration for Religious
Affairs, said at a ceremony on Saturday that the Chinese government
respects and protects religious freedom and supports, as always,
printing and publishing Bibles in China.
The Amity Printing Company, which is affiliated to the Amity
Foundation, printed the 50 millionth Bible in mid September, in
addition to 9 million New Testaments.
About 43 million copies of the complete Bible were produced for
believers on the Chinese mainland, with copies in Braille and eight
minority languages. The remaining 7 million were exported to over
60 countries and regions around the world.
In recent years, about 3 million copies of Bible rolled off the
press every year, the company said.
The Amity Foundation, the only one authorized in China for
printing Bibles, said it has 74 sales offices throughout the
country, which channel Bibles to nationwide Christians.
Bishop Kuang-hsun Ting, chair of the board of the Amity
Foundation, said that the printing company would not only produce
Bibles for his fellow Christians, but also donate its earnings for
charity. Official statistics on Christianity in China reveals there
are 16 million believers, a number which is continuously expanding.
The country also has 18 theological schools, with about 1,800
students.
During the Beijing Olympics 2008, Ye said, local religious
groups will provide help and service to overseas tourists,
including Bible copies.
Last month Beijing Olympics organizers were forced to angrily
deny that Bibles and other religious items for personal use would
not be welcome at next year's Olympics.
A notice on the official Beijing Olympics Web site explaining
entry procedures into the country said ``each traveller is
recommended to take no more than one Bible into China.''
Religious services -- Christian, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu
and Buddhist -- will be available to athletes in the Olympic
Village next summer, Zhanjun, director of the Beijing Olympics
media center said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2007)