Beijing, China, Nov 13, 2007 / 08:48 am
A web page recommending that visitors for the Beijing 2008 Olympics bring into China no more than one Bible has now been removed from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games' official website. Viewers following a link provided in earlier CNA reports now see the main site for the Olympics rather than the page titled "Entry and Exit: Entry," which used to be located at that web address.
Before its removal, the page noted material visitors were prohibited to bring in to the country. One rule read: "Any printed material, film, tapes that are 'detrimental to China's politics, economy, culture and ethics' are also forbidden to bring into China."
Immediately following this line, the document stated: "Note: Each traveler is recommended to take no more than one Bible into China."
A request for confirmation of the removal to the U.S. Olympic Committee was not returned.
A version of the removed document is located at an earlier version of the site, dated 03-12-2006:
http://en.beijing2008.cn/22/69/article212026922.shtml
Rather than reading exactly like the removed document, the older document contains a minor misspelling: "Note: Each travel is recommended to take no more than one Bible into China."
Unlike the removed web page, the older document does not credit the Beijing Tourism Administration. However, a document containing the same recommendation that visitors not bring multiple Bibles into China is also posted at the Beijing Tourism Administration website site at http://english.visitbeijing.com.cn/services/Practical/101637.htm
Last week Catholic News Agency carried a report from an Italian sports newspaper which claimed Bibles would be forbidden from the Olympic Village. Though the accuracy of the original report is still disputed, further investigation exposed other restrictions placed on entering visitors.