Chinese government has banned children from attending churches.

In a move which seeks to tighten its grip on religious activities in the country, Chinese government has banned children from attending churches.

The new directive also prohibits children from attending religious sermons and other related activities across the country.

Control on the country’s churches began several years ago when places of worship were ordered to remove crosses from their buildings in Zhejiang Province.

Reacting to the development, William Nee, researcher for Amnesty International told MailOnline, “At this point it’s unclear how widespread the ban on children attending church services are in China, but these alarming reports seem to be coming in from fairly diverse areas throughout the country”.

Nee also said that the move reflected the tightening control of religion, in particular Islam and Christianity, under the country’s present administration. “In an important speech on religion last year, the President, Xi Jinping, said that young people must study science, believe in science and develop a ‘correct’ worldview and set of values.

“It could be that the government is concerned that young people going to church or religious activities may challenge their monopoly on truth and the government’s ability to instill its own historical narratives and worldview through the public education system”, Nee stated.