Eastern China — September 30, 2026 — Military drills, target shooting and political instruction marked the start of the fall semester at a Christian seminary in eastern China, highlighting Beijing’s push for the “Chinafication” of Christianity and raising concerns about government influence over theological education.
At Zhejiang Theological Seminary in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, the Sept. 8–14 opening activities included national defense education and renewed emphasis on aligning theological training with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) priorities.
The activities illustrate how officially recognized seminaries prepare clergy expected to “love the country and love the church.”
Military training becomes routine
According to the seminary’s official report, students participated in four days of military training from Sept. 9–12, including formation drills, martial arts, dagger exercises, target shooting and dormitory inspections. The seminary said the program aimed to strengthen national security awareness, discipline, teamwork and perseverance.
At the training’s conclusion, seminary president Pastor Pan Xingwang encouraged students to uphold patriotism, collectivism and perseverance in the face of hardship.
Military training has become a regular part of new student education at Zhejiang Theological Seminary. Its 2014 program was described as preparation to become soldiers of Christ, while activities in 2018 and 2025 included flag-raising ceremonies, formation reviews and national defense education.
At a Sept. 8 orientation for incoming students’ parents, Pan urged students to balance four relationships: divine calling and personal dedication, rules and love, general education and theological courses, and classroom learning and spiritual growth.
Emphasis on Chinafication
During the Sept. 14 opening ceremony, Pan relayed directives from national and provincial meetings on religious education. He said the seminary would advance Chinafication in theological education, improve administrative standards and strengthen institutional management.
Pan also called for instruction in the “Three Loves,” “Five Views,” “Five Histories” and “Five Identifications” — political education programs intended to reinforce national unity, political loyalty and cultural alignment.
The “Three Loves” emphasize love for the country, the Party and socialism. The “Five Views” establish approved perspectives on the country, history, ethnicity, culture and religion, while the “Five Histories” promote state-sanctioned historical accounts, including the CCP’s history.
The “Five Identifications” seek to cultivate a shared sense of belonging and a unified national and political identity. Together, these programs place ideological education alongside traditional theological instruction and spiritual development.
Zhejiang Theological Seminary operates within China’s state-approved Protestant church system, overseen by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and China Christian Council, collectively known as the “Two Organizations.” Its educational approach is not an isolated development.
Other officially affiliated institutions, including Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, Fujian Theological Seminary and Guangdong Union Theological Seminary, have incorporated core socialist values, national defense education and Chinafication into their activities.
ChinaAid previously reported that authorities in neighboring Jiangsu province developed standardized courses for religious institutions, including Christian seminaries, covering Chinese history, culture and national identity. Officials described the initiative as a means of cultivating religious leaders who are politically reliable.
Yet the significance of this educational model is more complex for individual students and China’s Christian communities. Some students at officially recognized seminaries remain deeply committed to their faith and sincerely hope to devote their lives to ministry.
With limited access to alternative theological education in China, students may regard military training and political study as necessary formalities. Complying with institutional requirements can also provide a practical route to recognized opportunities for evangelism and ministry.
Their individual attitudes, however, cannot be established from the seminary’s official reports alone. The distinction between institutional compliance and personal religious conviction is important when assessing the impact of Chinafication on China’s future pastors.
From Christian worship and professions of faith to military drills and ideological instruction, the new semester at Zhejiang Theological Seminary illustrates the complex relationship between traditional Christian formation and the political requirements imposed on China’s officially recognized religious institutions.
Gao Zhensai is a special correspondent for ChinaAid News. Founded in 2002, ChinaAid is an international Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China through advocacy, legal support, and international awareness campaigns.