The 2025 Revised Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China will take effect on January 1, 2026. The revised law introduces explicit administrative penalties for "illegal religious activities" based on the existing provisions.
According to People's Daily, Article 31 of the new law stipulates, "Anyone who commits any of the following acts may be detained for not less than 10 days but not more than 15 days and may be concurrently fined not more than 2000 yuan. If the circumstances are relatively lenient, he (she) shall be detained for not less than 5 days but not more than 10 days and may be concurrently fined not more than 1000 yuan:
(1) Organizing, instigating, intimidating, inducing, or inciting any other person to carry out activities of any cult or superstitious sect, secret society, or illegal religious activities, or disturbing the social order or impairing the health of any other person by using any cult, superstitious sect, secret society, or superstitious activity;
(2) Disturbing the social order or impairing the health of any other person in the name of any religion or Qigong.
(3) Producing or disseminating articles, information, or materials that promote cults or secret society content.
Compared with the old law, the new law not only increases the amount of penalties but also, for the first time, includes "illegal religious activities" in the scope of clear administrative penalties.
