The following is a translation prepared by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China of the "Provisions Regarding the Administration of Contracts to Print Bible Texts" jointly issued by the General Administration of Press and Publication, State Council Religious Affairs Bureau, and General Administration of Customs on November 22, 1994. The Chinese text was retrieved from the Qingdao Press and Publishing Bureau Web site on December 13, 2005.
General Administration of Press and Publication, State Council Religious Affairs Bureau, and General Administration of Customs
Provisions Regarding the Administration of Contracting the Printing of Bible Texts
(November 22, 1994 [94] Joint New Publication Number 14)
To the press and publication bureaus and religious affairs bureaus of each province, autonomous region, and municipality and to the Guangdong Customs Office and each subordinate customs office:
The following rules have been formulated in order to strengthen the work of the administration of printing enterprises entering into contracts for printing jobs for Bible texts (which, as used herein, includes such things as Bible stories), and to prevent the chaotic situation of foreign processing of Bible texts.
1. Responsibility for the domestic printing of Bible texts is assigned to the national religious organizations. The printing must receive approval from the State Council Religious Affairs Bureau and be distributed internally within the church.
2. Contracting the printing of Bible texts with parties outside the borders (which, as used hereinafter, includes Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and foreign countries) shall be subject to the approval of the religious affairs bureau and press and publication bureau, and printed by a printing enterprise designated by the press and publication bureau in the province (autonomous region, municipality) in which the work unit contracting the printing is located. It shall be reported to the State Council Religious Affairs Bureau, General Administration of Customs, and the General Administration of Press and Publication. The finished products must be transported outside the borders; none is allowed to remain in the borders to be disseminated or sold.
3. In principle, contracting the printing of Chinese language or Chinese-foreign language editions of Bible texts from outside the borders is not allowed. If there is a special need, this must be reported to the State Council Religious Affairs Bureau for approval.
4. Contracting printing enterprises shall be nationally designated book and periodical printing enterprises and other provincial level designated book and periodical printing enterprises with an excellent management foundation and equipment and technical qualifications that are able to ensure product quality and print periods, as well as the Nanjing Amity Printing Company, Ltd., which is entrusted to print Chinese-language editions of Bible texts for national religious organizations.
5. Contracting enterprises must, during the printing process, assign a person to take responsibility and, according to the measures on the printing of classified materials, strictly manage affairs. Specifically, the person responsible must:
(1) When contracting the printing, have in possession the original document certifying approval for the printing, in accordance with the above provisions. The party requesting the printing and the party undertaking it must sign a formal contract.
(2) Strictly abide by the number of copies authorized to be printed and not make additional copies without authorization.
(3) Guarantee the printing quality and take strict precautions against letting sub-standard products leave the premises.
(4) Abide by the contracted amount and time limit to deliver the goods, and not permit shortchanging and procrastination. Products shall be sent abroad in accordance with the terms of the contract, and the destination may not be changed for any reason.
(5) Strictly manage the finished and semi-finished products. A specialist shall be responsible for destroying excess and defective goods after verifying that there are no errors on the white paper, and may not lose track of these goods.
(6) Return in entirety the master copy, film, and so on to the party that ordered the printing, when the printing is finished. The printing enterprise may not, without authorization, retain or transfer possession of the originals.
6. Customs shall, pursuant to the authorizing documentation requirements of these Provisions, provide registration to and carry out monitoring and supervision of all items that comply with rules on foreign processing and assembly in accordance with those rules.
7. Violations of these provisions on contracting printing of Bible texts shall be dealt with as the undertaking of illegal publishing activities. If criminal law is violated, the case will be referred to the judicial organs to investigate criminal responsibility.
8. Prior rules on the administration of the printing of Bible texts that are inconsistent with the rules of this document shall take these Provisions as their standard.
