I. Department Profile

The State Administration for Religious Affairs is a functional department under the State Council in charge of religious affairs and issues. It has gone through a timeline as below:
1950: The Government Administration Council made a decision to establish a research team in charge of religious affairs under the Culture and Education Committee.

1951: The Religious Affairs Office was set up under the Culture and Education Committee of the Government Administration Council.

1954: The Bureau of Religious Affairs under the State Council was established when the State Council was founded. Since then, the Bureau had been running under the State Council.

1975: The State Council made a decision to cancel the Bureau of Religious Affairs under it.

1979: The State Council made a decision to resume the Bureau of Religious Affairs under it.
 
March 1998: The State Council made a decision to rename the Bureau of Religious Affairs under the State Council into the State Administration for Religious Affairs.

II. Main Functions

1) To protect the freedom of religions belief citizens by law; to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of religious groups and their activity venues; to ensure the religious faculty and staff to perform normal religions activities; and to ensure the citizens with religions belief to conduct normal religious activities.

2) To survey religious status at home and abroad; to probe into religious theories.

3) To draft laws, rules and regulations relating to religion; to research and work out departmental rules and regulations, as well as specific policies relating to religion.

4) To conduct administration and supervision over the implementation of laws, rules and regulations relating to religion, to steer and promote religions to run on the track of laws, rules, regulations and policies; to prevent and curb illegal elements from irregular and illegitimate activities by taking advantage of religions.

5) To organize and guide the publicity and education of religious policy and legality.

6) To support religious circles to make self-education on patriotism, socialism, motherland reunification, and ethical solidarity; and to unite and motivate the citizens with religions belief to serve the reform and opening up, as well as economic construction.

7) To assist religious groups in fostering and educating religious faculty, well managing religious schools, and promoting self-construction; to handle for religious groups those issues to be supported or coordinated by the government.

8) To direct the work of religious affairs departments under local people's governments; to assist local people's governments to promptly resolve key issues relating to region.

9) To support and help religious circles to conduct friendly communication abroad, as well as with Hong Kong Special Administrative Zone, Macao S.A.Z. and Taiwan.

10) To undertake any other issues designated by the State Council.