chinazentrum e.v.

What chinazentrum e.v. does

China-Zentrum e.V. is a registered German non-profit association (gemeinnütziger Verein) founded in 1988 and headquartered in Sankt Augustin, Germany. Its stated purpose is to foster encounters and exchange between cultures and religions in the West and in China, with members drawn from Catholic aid organizations, religious orders, and dioceses in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. The organization is governed by a volunteer board led by Msgr. Wolfgang Huber (Vorsitzender), with Renée Rentke as deputy, and additional board members Dr. Thilo Esser, P. Josef Grünnner SDB, and Jürgen Knieps. It is recognized as tax-exempt by the Finanzamt Sankt Augustin, most recently confirmed by Freistellungsbescheid dated 09.07.2021 for tax periods 2018–2020.

The organization's core products are two scholarly publications — the quarterly journal 'China heute' (in continuous publication since 1982, originally at Institut Monumenta Serica) and the English-language e-journal 'Religions & Christianity in Today's China' (RCTC) — complemented by a multilingual (German/English/Chinese) website, a newsletter subscription service, and a recurring calendar of academic events including the annual Jahresakademie, public lectures (Vorträge), the Chinesisch-deutsches Studententreffen (40th edition scheduled October 2026), and interreligious consultations between German and Chinese religious leaders (third edition scheduled May 2026 in Berlin). There is no proprietary technology stack; distribution is via direct subscription, PDF downloads from the website, and event attendance.

Revenue mechanics consist of tax-deductible donations, membership dues from Catholic institutional members, voluntary subscription contributions for the journals, and event-based engagement — pricing for journal subscriptions is not publicly disclosed and is instead solicited as donations. The go-to-market is event-driven and content-driven, reaching academics, religious organizations, Chinese Catholic communities in Europe, and interreligious dialogue participants through the multilingual website, email newsletters, academic journals, and in-person conferences. The organization operates as a content publisher and event facilitator rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

chinazentrum e.v.

Legal name

China-Zentrum e.V.

Website

https://china-zentrum.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

China-Zentrum e.V. is a German non-profit association founded in 1988 that publishes scholarly journals on religion in China and organizes academic events, serving European Catholic institutions, researchers, and interreligious dialogue participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious & Cultural Exchange Publishing

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Education, Research & Academic Congresses (THAHAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Cultural religious exchange
• Religious publications
• Interfaith dialogue
• Academic seminars
• Nonprofit association

Headquarters

HQ city

Sankt Augustin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Fees: The organization relies on donations from supporters and membership fees from Catholic aid organizations, religious orders, and dioceses in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. Donations are tax-deductible under German law.
2. Publication Subscriptions: Revenue generated from subscriptions to the journal 'China heute' (quarterly publication). The journal is published four times per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

China-Zentrum e.V. is a registered non-profit association that fosters cultural and religious exchange between the West and China. It publishes the quarterly German-language journal "China heute" and the English e-journal "Religions & Christianity in Today's China" (RCTC), and convenes an annual academic seminar (Jahresakademie), a Chinese-German Student Meeting, lectures, a newsletter, and interreligious consultations. Its audience comprises Catholic aid organizations, dioceses, academic institutions, and individuals interested in Christianity and religious life in contemporary China.

Product overview

China-Zentrum e.V. operates as a publishing and cultural exchange organization offering a portfolio of academic publications and educational events. The core products include the quarterly journal 'China heute' (ISSN 0932-6855) covering religion and Christianity in China, and the English-language e-journal 'Religions & Christianity in Today's China' (RCTC). These publications are complemented by a newsletter subscription service and various event programs including the Jahresakademie (Annual Seminar), Vorträge (Lectures), and the Chinesisch-deutsches Studententreffen (Chinese-German Student Meeting). The organization functions primarily as a content publisher and event organizer rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• China heute: Quarterly journal published by China-Zentrum covering religions in the Chinese cultural space, with particular attention to Christianity in the People's Republic of China
• Religions & Christianity in Today's China (RCTC)

Products and services

• China heute (quarterly journal) Quarterly German-language journal providing expert reporting and analysis on Christianity and religious life in contemporary China, for institutional and individual subscribers.
• Religions & Christianity in Today's China (RCTC) English-language e-journal delivering scholarly analysis of religions and Christianity in contemporary China to international researchers and academic institutions.
• Jahresakademie (Annual Seminar) Annual in-person academic seminar organized by the association for scholars, clergy, and members to engage with current research on Christianity and religion in China.
• Chinesisch-deutsches Studententreffen (Chinese-German Student Meeting) Recurring student meeting bringing together Chinese and German students for cultural and academic exchange, hosted by the association.
• Lectures (Vorträge) Standalone expert lectures delivered by the association's network of China scholars to Catholic, academic, and public audiences in Germany.
• Interreligious consultations Interreligious consultations convened by the association to support dialogue between Christian communities and other religious traditions in China and abroad.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Institut Monumenta SericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1982The journal 'China heute' was founded in 1982 at the Institut Monumenta Serica. The China-Zentrum continues to work closely with the institute on scholarly research and publications about religion in China.
• Chinese Religious OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChina-Zentrum e.V. maintains ongoing dialogue and exchange with religious organizations in China, including the Chinese Christian Council (CCC), Buddhist associations, and other religious bodies, facilitating interreligious consultations.
• German Catholic and Protestant ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with German Catholic and Protestant churches for interreligious consultations, including events such as the German-Chinese Interreligious Consultation in Shanghai (May 2018) with representatives from evangelical and Catholic churches.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Biblical Federation: Vatican-affiliated Pontifical body coordinating biblical apostolate worldwide. Functionally comparable as a Catholic ecclesiastical organization serving international members and producing publications, though broader in scope than China-Zentrum's China-only focus.
• Steyler Verlag: Catholic publishing house of the SVD/Steyler mission network, located in Sankt Augustin like China-Zentrum. Adjacent publisher with broader Catholic theological catalog and shared institutional affiliation via the Steyler/SVD network.

Direct peers

• Studia Missionalia / Verbum SVD: SVD (Divine Word Missionaries) academic publishing program on missiology and Chinese Christianity. China-Zentrum has overlapping SVD governance (P. Josef Grünner SDB on board, Steyler Bank ties) and similar academic editorial focus.
• The Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History: University of San Francisco-based institute advancing scholarship on the history of cultural exchange between China and the West. Highly comparable to China-Zentrum in Jesuit heritage, Catholic scholarly mission, and editorial output on China Christianity.
• Tripod: Hong Kong-based English-language Catholic journal covering Church and society in China, including Christianity, Catholicism, and interreligious relations. Directly comparable periodical product focused on the same Chinese Catholic community.
• Institut Monumenta Serica: A German-based scholarly institute dedicated to research on China, with which China-Zentrum co-publishes 'China heute' (founded there in 1982). It is the closest publishing and research peer by virtue of topic, language, and existing partnership.

Regional players

• China Christian Council: Post-denominational Protestant body in the People's Republic of China and named partner of China-Zentrum for interreligious exchange. Comparable mission domain (religion in contemporary China) but operates in mainland China under state-supervised framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/china-zentrum-e.v.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about chinazentrum e.v.