China's top Christian authority has decided to lower the age ceiling for its senior religious leaders as part of efforts to include more energetic minds in the leadership.

The chairman and vice-chairman of the country's two national Protestant associations - the National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council - should be younger than 70 when elected, instead of the current maximum of 75, under the new constitutions of both associations.

The constitutions were adopted on Tuesday by the National Chinese Christian Congress, which ended on Wednesday in Beijing.