RPearce says:
Yes, Mulims in China are free to build Mosques, in exactly the same way Christians are allowed to build Churches. And, just like with Priests, all Imans are approved by, and then appointed by, the Chinese state.

You will find lots of sites complaining about the Chinese restrictions on the Christians.
========
In France, they have strict restrictions on Imam's, you need to have a Master's to be an Imam.  In other Western countries they play the same game only worse, they forbid Muslims from entering, or if they let them in,  they face harassment and detention without trial, or they aren't even allowed to build a Mosque under the pretense of "traffic problems" etc..

China is very transparent on what is and isn't allowed, unlike here in Canada and other democracies where we are made to believe the sky is the limit, only to realize it is according to your ethnic and religious background.

Please do not start about Christianity in China.  No offense, but Christians are just angry that the Vatican was not able to impose their Western influence into China's churches.

This is where the rift began.  Why should a country allow foreigners to use religion as an excuse to control them?

I have a lot of respect for Christianity, but it is no more Caucasian than it is Chinese.  Like most religions, it began in the Middle East, so why would Caucasians from the Vatican have so much influence?  Jesus was from the Middle East, not Italy and not Europe and would never have approved of the political games played under religious pretense.

Therefore, as China must have seen, the Vatican's imposition of clergy is a way to control and influence China from the outside.  Now I'd like to ask, will the Vatican appoint Chinese clergy?

Sorry guys, I'm just keeping things real.