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William Zheng

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for further enactment of law and regulation, as well as stricter law enforcement, in religious affairs in a push to Sinicise religions in the country, according to state media.
Xi made the remark on Monday while presiding over a group study session of the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo.
“Governing religious affairs in accordance with the law is the fundamental way to properly handle various contradictions and problems in the religious field,” he said, according to state news agency Xinhua.
“[We must] enhance relevant laws and policies, carry out in-depth legal publicity and education, and implement strict law enforcement.”


Xi said that continuously promoting the Sinicisation of religions – a term used by the ruling party to describe efforts to orient all religions in China towards Chinese politics and culture – was “the only way” for religious, ethnic and social harmony, and the long-term stability of the country, according to Xinhua.
Xi also stressed that working to inspire religious figures to “take the initiative and reform themselves” was crucial to the long-term integration goal.
He emphasised that China’s religious leaders should be better “guided” to embody Chinese characteristics in religious doctrines, rules, management systems, rituals and customs, as well as to improve their “self-education, self-management and self-discipline”.
Religions in China could only be passed down in a healthy manner by always having their roots in Chinese culture, he said.
Xi’s remarks during the top decision-making body’s study session came less than a month after the National People’s Congress started reviewing two legislative proposals for further ethnic integration through the use of standard Chinese – both the spoken and written language – among minority groups.
The draft Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress and the revised draft of the Law on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language were submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for deliberation this month. Both were listed among the priorities of the top legislature.
In 2017, the Chinese government revised its Regulations on Religious Affairs to explicitly ban all organisations and individuals from using religion to carry out activities that could endanger national security or support extremism. The revisions also banned preaching or the establishment of religious organisations in schools, and blocked religious groups from accepting donations from overseas.
Qiushi, the ruling Communist Party’s leading theoretical journal, also weighed in on religious affairs in its latest issue.
It republished a speech by Xi last year in which he argued that the “economic interdependence” of all ethnic groups in China was a “powerful force” to build a unified Chinese economy, despite the country’s vast territory and varying resources between regions.
“Ethnic groups have consistently maintained mutually beneficial and win-win economic ties, significantly enhancing the nation’s overall strength and promoting the formation and development of the Chinese nation,” the article said.
Xi made similar calls for the Sinicisation of religions during his trip to Tibet last month and to Xinjiang earlier this month. On both visits, Xi became the first sitting Chinese president to attend events celebrating the founding of those autonomous regions.
According to Xie Maosong, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Strategic Studies at Tsinghua University, laws and regulations governing religious affairs are critical for officials on the ground responsible for managing religious affairs.


“The laws are the yardsticks to reduce arbitrary administrative decisions while providing the administrators with legal tools to advance national agendas on religious affairs,” he said, adding that China should also strengthen the legal training of grass-roots officials to better implement existing and future laws.
The legal drive is part of the concept of “comprehensive and strict governance over religious affairs” tabled at the National Religious Works Conference chaired by Xi in December 2021.
It detailed Beijing’s continued efforts to Sinicise religions in China, actively guiding them to adapt to China’s socialist society, improving the self-management level of religious leaders, and enacting laws on religious affairs for better governance.


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During a Politburo study session, Xi Jinping says Beijing must ‘implement strict law enforcement’ regarding religion


During a Politburo study session, Xi Jinping says Beijing must ‘implement strict law enforcement’ regarding religion.


Religion must align with law for ethnic and social harmony in China, Xi says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}During a Politburo study session, Xi Jinping says Beijing must ‘implement strict law enforcement’ regarding religion

During a Politburo study session, Xi Jinping says Beijing must ‘implement strict law enforcement’ regarding religion