(Tianjin — September 30, 2025) Recently, a mobile app installation guide from Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity drew widespread attention after it explicitly required all students to uniformly fill in “No Religious Belief” under the “Religious Belief” column of their personal information, further stressing that students must “correctly distinguish between ethnic customs and religious belief.” This incident is seen as the latest example of the Chinese government openly violating citizens’ constitutionally guaranteed right to religious freedom within the education system.
The “Hard Rules” of Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity
According to the Mobile App Installation Instruction Guide issued by Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity, point 4 under “Personal Information Notes” requires filling in “No Religious Belief” and “to distinguish between ethnic customs and religious belief correctly.”
The college’s “one-size-fits-all” regulation directly replaces students’ right to choose based on the actual circumstances of their faith, forcing all enrolled students to declare themselves as “atheists” or “non-believers.”
The Vast Gap Between Constitution and Reality
Article 36 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China clearly stipulates that citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief, that the state protects normal religious activities, and that “no state organ, social organization, or individual shall coerce citizens to believe in or not to believe in any religion, nor shall they discriminate against citizens who believe in or do not believe in any religion.” In addition, Chinese law also guarantees citizens the freedom to enter religious venues and study religious texts.
However, in practice, for an extended period, the Chinese Communist authorities, particularly under Xi Jinping’s administration, have continuously tightened control and repression of religious affairs, with measures permeating deep into the daily lives of ordinary people. Among these, the religious beliefs of minors and university students have long been treated as a “sensitive issue.”
Atheist Propaganda in the Education System: Central Committee documents consistently stress that it is necessary to “vigorously promote scientific and cultural knowledge and strengthen the scientific worldview (including atheism) education of the masses, especially the youth.” Xi Jinping himself has publicly demanded that efforts be made to “strengthen the promotion and education of the scientific worldview among the youth.”
Minors Banned from Practicing Religion: Authorities prohibit minors, under 18, from practicing a religion and restrict their participation in Sunday school, summer camps, or other religious activities. Local officials are even dispatched to churches for inspection and surveillance.
Strict Prevention of Evangelism on University Campuses: Central government documents explicitly prohibit evangelism on university campuses, treating college students as a group requiring special preventive measures.
Mandatory Requirements Raise Questions
The recent blatant demand by Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity for students to “directly fill in ‘No Religious Belief’” demonstrates how, under China’s specific political climate, citizens’ freedom of religious belief is openly and systematically trampled upon by government departments and educational institutions.
Although the Constitution clearly guarantees citizens the right to believe or not believe in religion and prohibits coercion, the school’s action, in effect, uses administrative measures to forcibly interfere with students’ beliefs. As a result, students seeking to complete their studies smoothly or avoid potential political risks are compelled to provide information that contradicts their true convictions.
This once again exposes the vast disparity between the legal guarantees and actual enforcement in China’s handling of religious affairs, as well as the authorities’ extreme vigilance against and suppression of religious influence within campuses.
Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai for ChinaAid