According to the church, on February 22, 2019, local government officials from Nanjing came to examine published books at the Nanjing Mochou Lu Church.
The team, which included eight officials from the Department of Ethnic & Religious Affairs of Nanjing and the Nanjing Bureau of Culture, aimed to protect legal publication and eradicate illegal publishing. Books without the names of the author(s), publishing house, or an ISBN, are illegal in China.
The officials looked over some books in the library and bookstore. It was concluded that all the books sold in Mochou Lu Church or lent to the congregation were legal.
Later they discussed with the church staff the new policies regarding internal religious publications and their sales. They added that they would report the circumstances to relevant departments and release rules. Rev. Li Lancheng, senior pastor of the church, replied that the church would adhere to all rules and regulations.
According to the official website of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission of Jiangsu, on Feb. 13, a special team from the Bureau of Ethnic & Religious Affairs of Zhenjiang came to local key religious premises to inspect for illegal publications.
They checked bookstores, reading rooms, and offices in order to prohibit the entry of illegal publications into religious activity venues. They also shared relevant laws, rules and investigation procedures.
