The state has re-asserted its monopoly over the spiritual education of minors, so that participation by children in any religious activity can be prevented. While in theory registration requirements need not be onerous, and in fact many congregations operate under RAB auspices with little interference, serious restrictions on freedom of religious expression have been reported in recent years. Many limits imposed on registered churches are in violation of accepted international standards of free exercise of religion. The state requires that political indoctrination be an important component of religious training for recognized religious groups. This often comes at the expense of religious education, as is the case with a recent movement to reduce the number of years of seminary training of Catholic priests from the normal five to six years to two.
Authorities limit the building of mosques, monasteries, and churches even for approved groups.
They restrict the numbers of students in Christian seminaries, Buddhist monasteries and Islamic schools. They proscribe the teaching of certain doctrines and labeled heretical practices such as exorcism and healing. Chinese authorities remain deeply suspicious of the involvement of hostile foreign elements in Chinese congregations and severely limit association between Chinese and foreign religious groups. Ongoing harassment of unregistered churches Chinese law now requires all religious groups register with local RAB officials. In the past, in many areas, officials have allowed the unregistered groups to operate without harassment, in others, officials have been zealous to the point of abuse in their campaign to force the registration of places of worship.