from HAOYU ZHANG in Beijing, China
Special Correspondent
BEIJING, (CAJ News) – PRESIDENT Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has called for stronger efforts to ensure that religions in China further adapt to the country’s cultural and social context.
Presiding over a group study session of the CPC Central Committee’s Political Bureau on Monday, Xi stressed the importance of guiding religions to integrate with socialist society and align with China’s broader development goals.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Party has advanced a series of principles and policies requiring that religions in China follow a Chinese orientation.
Xi said these measures have yielded “remarkable achievements” in managing religious affairs in the new era.
Adapting faith traditions to the Chinese context, Xi noted, is vital for promoting religious harmony, ethnic unity, social stability, and national cohesion.
He urged religious leaders and believers to cultivate a “correct understanding” of the country’s history, culture, and ethnic identity, while embedding religious practices within Chinese cultural traditions.
“Religions in China can only develop in a healthy way if they remain rooted in Chinese culture,” Xi said, calling for greater integration of religious practices with the nation’s fine traditional culture.
The Chinese leader also underlined the importance of governing religious affairs according to law, describing it as the fundamental principle for resolving contradictions and addressing challenges in the religious sphere.
He highlighted the need to strengthen regulations and policies to ensure consistency, stability, and effective oversight.
– CAJ News