Amid all the talk about tariffs with China, and how they steal America’s intellectual property and establish all kinds of trade barriers with this country, you might have missed this story. It’s not about economics, but at the same time, it tells you a lot about what authoritarian countries like China fear the most.
Beginning on May 1, China will accelerate its crackdown on religion, and Christianity in particular. Foreign missionaries will be banned from preaching unless they obtain formal approval from the government.
According to Chinese state media, the goal of the new regulation is to protect “national security” and “political stability” by forcing people to attend official, state-run religious services with pre-approved messaging. Additionally, Chinese state media has recently boasted about the fact that religious groups — which the government calls “cult…
