Chinese dictator Xi Jinping told his Politburo on Monday that tougher law enforcement in religious affairs was needed to complete the project of “Sinicizing” all faiths, which means making them all subordinate to the authority of the Chinese Communist Party.
“Governing religious affairs in accordance with the law is the fundamental way to properly handle various contradictions and problems in the religious field,” Xi told a Politburo study group, as reported by Chinese state media.
Xi told the Politburo to “enhance relevant laws and policies, carry out in-depth legal publicity and education, and implement strict law enforcement” to achieve full Sinicization, which he said was “the only way” to achieve social harmony.
Xi directed his regime to make “efforts to guide religious figures and believers to develop an accurate understanding of country, history, ethnicity, culture and religion.”
“He said religions in China can only be passed down healthily by always having their roots in the Chinese culture, and required efforts to promote the integration of religions with fine traditional Chinese culture,” China’s state-run Xinhua news service reported.
The India-based Tibetan Review smelled another Chinese crackdown on religion brewing, noting that Xi placed a heavy emphasis on Sinicization during his unusual visits last month to Tibet and Xinjiang, home of the oppressed Uyghur Muslims. In both cases, Xi commemorated China’s forcible conquest of the regions and talked up efforts to subordinate their language, culture, and religion.
The Tibetan Review pointed out that Sinicization is as much a war against culture as against religious freedom, since the Chinese use the excuse of “correcting” religious practices to marginalize Tibetan and Uyghur language and cultural traditions. A heavy component of Sinicization involves forcing religious schools to use the Chinese language, and forbidding religious groups from accepting overseas support.
Asia News saw Xi’s remarks to the Politburo as further confirmation of how the dictator’s “political vision” depends on subduing the five officially recognized religions in China – Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism – and teaching adherents to view Chinese Communist dogma as superior to any religious text.
Xi told the Politburo to strengthen the “Five Identities,” one of Chinese Communism’s myriad euphemisms for its tools of political and cultural control. The Five Identities essentially tell religious leaders they are required to imbue their teachings with the principles of loyalty to the government in Beijing, Chinese nationalism, Chinese culture, Chinese socialism, and the Chinese Communist Party.
“These identities clearly show that for Beijing, Sinicization is not simply a matter of translating the message of each faith into its own cultural categories, but a patriotic imperative that views religions as cogs in its own system.,” Asia News noted.
Some observers think Xi is battening down his political hatches ahead of a major conflict with Tibetan Buddhism, as Beijing is demanding the power to choose the spiritual successor to the Dalai Lama, who will soon turn 90 years old. Human rights groups have called on China to cease its political interference with Tibetan Buddhism, but if anything, Xi is ramping up his efforts to exert supremacy and control over the religion.
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