Xi Jinping’s call for the sinicization of religion in China
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said religions in the Communist nation should “further adapt” to the socialist society, expanding on his earlier assertion of sinicization of religions in China. He emphasised the importance of ensuring that religions in China further adapt to the Chinese context, state-run Xinhua news agency reported
Xi also called for providing active guidance to religions so that they can adapt to a socialist society while he was presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Since he came to power in 2012, Xi, 72, has been reorienting the ruling Communist Party’s policies on religion, realigning them with Marxist ideology.
In July this year, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, while answering a question, defended the “sinicization” of Tibetan Buddhism and other religions under the guidelines issued by Xi Jinping. “I believe that sinicization of religion is not about restricting religious practice; rather, all religions must adapt to the social, cultural, and historical context of the country.
“Tibetan Buddhism in China is a prime example of a religion that has integrated Chinese characteristics, exemplifying the process of sinicization,” Mao said. China says it has religious freedom, but it should function within the parameters set by the party. It is not yet clear what the religions should do to further adapt to Chinese conditions.
Xi’s comments on religion come in the backdrop of his recent visit to Tibet and Xinjiang, the two sprawling provinces that still retain their religious identity after over seven decades of CPC rule and crackdown against them. While Buddhism is still well entrenched in Tibet decades after the Dalai Lama left for exile to Dharamshala in India, Uygur Muslims remained the majority community in Xinjiang, where the UN and international human rights groups alleged large-scale detentions of Uygurs. China has banned the militant group the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which Beijing accuses of fighting for a separate homeland for Uygur Muslims.
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