China has published more than 20 million copies of the Holy Bible in the past two decades and the Bible become one of the most popular books in the country since the beginning of the 1990s.

"The publication volume fully comply with the needs of China's 10 million Christians and four million Roman Catholics," said Feng Jinyuan, a research fellow at the Institute of World Religions under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

Feng said Christian scriptures from the Old and New testaments have been published in over 20 different versions, including English editions with Chinese translations, Chinese editions in traditional and simplified characters, editions in ethnic minority languages and in both portable and desk forms.

Moreover, Professor Feng noted, eight million Hymnals have been published since 1983.

The works are published and distributed by the Shanghai-based Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of the Protestant Churches of China and the China Christian Council.

Meanwhile, China has published a large number of works relevant to the Bible and Christian culture since the country introduced reform and opening-up polices in the late 1970s, said Feng.

He went on to say that a dozen editions of Stories of the Bible have been published, with the total number of the books sold quite likely surpassing sales for the Bible.

"The country's economic disparity has created diversity in terms of culture, ideology and beliefs," said Feng, adding that "publication of the Bible at least to some extent contributed to diversification."

Moreover, a number of universities have set up Bible Studies as a required course for students majoring in politics, art, philosophy and literature, according to Feng.

A recent survey conducted by the National Situation Research Center under the CASS shows that the Bible has ranked 32nd on the list of the most influential books in the country since the early 1990s.

Nevertheless, generally speaking, religion exerts less influence upon the Chinese people than on the people in the West. But as a matter of fact, an increasing number of Chinese students traveling abroad and the expansion of cultural and scientific exchanges between China and the outside world have sparked a trend towards the growing influence of religion on young people, said Feng.

Chinese women, most of whom live in rural areas in east and central China, account for some 60 percent of the nation's Christian population. In addition, many individuals with higher education backgrounds follow Christianity, with a number occupying leading positions in the National People's Congress, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and various government departments.