The Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong has warned that a shortage of Bibles is imminent due to a Chinese printing house stopping the printing of  Bibles. 

According to Christian persecution watchdog China Aid, the Society's Chinese Bibles (The Studium Biblicum Version) is the one in particular that people are losing access to.  The version of the Chinese Bible was printed by Nanjing Amity Printing, a venture between the Amity Foundation and the United Bible Societies (UBS) in 1988.

China Aid said it is the only printing company in mainland China designated to print Christian Bibles and hymnals and has been printing Bibles for the Catholic Church in China since 1994.  

Friar Raymond Mary Yeung, a member of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, posted the following on his Facebook public group:

"Studium Biblicum Franciscanum has been unable to find a suitable printing house for the Catholic Chinese Bibles and therefore has not been able to print the new Catholic Chinese Bibles. 

He also highlighted that "at present, all of the Society's stock of Catholic Chinese Bibles has been sold to bookstores, and if the printing problem is not resolved in the near future, there will be a shortage."

Friar Yeung told Christian Times in Hong Kong, that the printing house in mainland China stopped due to a new requirement of having to apply to the Communist government to get permission to print.  This, coupled with low profit has caused the printing house to cease operations. 

The option of finding another printing house isn't a viable one, as Friar Yeung said the staple binding technology for that specific Bible isn't available in Hong Kong. 

It's been reported that Protestant Bibles have not been affected as they are mainly printed in Hong Kong and South Korea.