So no, I personally haven't been to China, but I am rather more involved and familiar with things than the average commenter. My own focus has been more on Cuba and Central America, though I'm also deeply interested in Burma, serve on the board of a Pakistani Christian ministry, and have been approached about helping lead an Indian Christian ministry. (The latter are both in Punjab, which would put me in a situation similar to being a board member in ministries on both sides of the front line in Ukraine.)
Again, you denounce the article but without offering one iota of evidence. I could pile on with more evidence of this point, about the thousands of steeples the Chinese authorities have pulled down, the churches bulldozed and destroyed, the effort to replace Bibles with corrupted communist versions, the repression of house churches and so on. The existence of tame "model" churches and mosques and so on for show that are allowed by authorities are not a legitimate expression of freedom of religion in China. The Chinese communist party is fundamentally religious in nature, and cannot afford and does not tolerate serious competition.
“smuggling Bibles into China “
You can buy a Bible in almost ANY bookstore in China. There is LITERALLY NO REASON to smuggle them in. If your organization had rather than smuggling Bibles, arranged with Three-Self Churches, you could have bought them locally and not have had a problem. I know I’ve done it. I have a friend who came to Christ by checking out a Bible from the library at the University of Beijing. Anyone in China who wants a Bible can easily purchase one.
The issue is actually that it is illegal to take ANY foreign publication into China. They’d have faced the same issues taking copies of The South China Morning Post. Personal experience: I tried to ship a complete set of Nancy Drew mysteries to a friend’s daughter in Chengdu. What could be more innocuous? They were confiscated by Chinese customs. Just be glad your friends weren’t taking political or News magazines in.
Point of Fact: I was a tentmaker missionary working in schools and education in China and lived in China and Hong Kong for 25 years. I have a university degree from a Chinese University. I know firsthand how the censorship in the PRC works. I was there. It is pervasive, present, and easily and widely worked around by many people.
China is not a free country. But it is freer than the UK, and in many ways as free as the US.