(Beijing – July 3, 2025) The official website of China’s only independent think tank focused on church-state relations, the Pu-Shi Institute for Social Sciences, has been blocked and is currently inaccessible. The website displays the message “This site is temporarily unavailable,” citing potential reasons such as “lack of registration or access” or “the site contains prohibited or illegal content.” While the website states that it may automatically be restored within approximately 36 hours after obtaining a registration number, it remains unclear whether this shutdown is permanent.
Founding & Mission
The Pu-Shi Institute for Social Sciences was founded in 1999 by Liu Peng, a former research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy in Social Sciences, China’s first civil research organization dedicated to promoting the rule of law in religious affairs.
Symposiums on “Religion and the Rule of Law”
Since 2002, the institute has regularly held academic symposiums on “Religion and the Rule of Law,” initially focusing on the relationship between religion and politics and foundational theories of rule of law. In later years, its topics expanded to include specific areas such as religious legislation, property rights, and the legal personhood of religious organizations.
Collaborations & Multistakeholder Dialogues
The Pu-Shi Institute has collaborated with international institutions such as Emory University in the U.S. and the University of Hong Kong, as well as over a dozen domestic universities and research bodies including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Southwest University of Political Science and Law. It has brought together representatives from government agencies, academia, and religious bodies to jointly discuss critical topics such as religious regulation, legal boundaries, and the legislative design of religious organizations.
Impact on Church–State Relations
The institute has made outstanding contributions to promoting constructive interaction between church-state relations in China, advancing a rule-of-law-based environment for church-state relations, and enhancing the legal awareness and standardized management of religious organizations.
Political Context & Civil Society Pressure
However, since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, the Chinese government’s suppression of liberal thought has intensified, and the space for civil society has significantly shrunk. In this context, discussions within grassroots think tanks and research institutions have become increasingly cautious, and many such organizations have subsequently shut down. The specific reason for the website of Pu-Shi Institute for Social Sciences being blocked remains unclear, and its future has drawn considerable public attention.
(Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai of ChinaAid)
