Mao Zedong died in 1976, and since then, two big things have hap­pened to China, says Giles Fraser. The first is the explosion of the economy. The other is the explosion of religion - and, sometimes, its suppression.

Celebrations marking Britain's best Olympic success in 100 years, with 19 gold medals, were marred by the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old Londoner, adding to a knife-wielding trend that is worrying both church and government leaders.

Some Chinese Christians have seen their invitation to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics as a new recognition of religion and global values in officially atheist China.

Using the 2008 Olympics in Beijing as a platform, a US commission on religious freedom has called for increased international pressure on China to end its intolerance of religious expression - writes Cheryl Heckler for Ecumenical News International (ENI).