(Beijing – March 27, 2024) In March, the Chinese government convened the 2024 National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing. Wang Huning, Chairperson of the CPPCC discussed United Front work both domestically and overseas. Representatives from the Christian community and other religious groups expressed their views and made suggestions on “Strengthening the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Relics in Religious Activity Sites” at the consultative conference of the religious sector.
Xinhua News Agency, the official state news agency, reported that Wang Huning, Chairperson of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, attended the meeting on March 4. In the “Report on the work of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee” under his authority, Wang Huning stated that over the past year, the Standing Committee has played its role in the United Front Work Department, promoting harmony in party relations, ethnic relations, religious relations, class relations, and relations with compatriots at home and abroad.
Wang Huning, who ranks fourth in the party hierarchy, stated that the Standing Committee has conducted public diplomacy, civil diplomacy, and think tank diplomacy, creating a favorable external environment. He listed the achievements of the United Front work, stating that the CPPCC and its affiliated organizations organized 23 batches of visits and contacts with more than 200 institutions from 50 countries. They established contacts with 41 foreign think tanks and 12 civil organizations, and hosted events attended by representatives of international organizations, foreign ambassadors to China, and senior scholars visiting under the Oriental Scholarship Program. They have had exchanges with over 2,100 people from various sectors, and hosted visitors and participants from 84 countries and visitors from 25 countries and participants in international conferences.
To govern the religions in Tibet and Xinjiang, to Sinicize Tibetan Buddhism and promote Sinicization of Islam in Xinjiang, Wang Huning mentioned that United Front officials conducted 10 research and inspection visits to areas in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Tibetan autonomous prefectures and counties in Sichuan. Authorities also convene symposiums reflecting social sentiments and opinions in the ethnic minority and religious sectors. The Standing Committee he chaired also supported the China Committee on Religion and Peace in hosting the second “International Seminar on Interfaith Exchanges and Shared Future for Mankind.”
When it comes to issues related to Taiwan, Wang Huning proposed, “Strengthening cross-strait industrial cooperation, building a common market across the strait, holding the sixth Cross-Strait Grassroots Governance Forum, and promoting integrated development across the strait.”
China’s coercive policies in Tibet and Xinjiang, as part of its strategic initiative for national unity, have not been successful and have generated significant controversy. These policies have faced widespread condemnation and scrutiny from the international community. Since January 2021, the U.S. State Department has accused China of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uighurs and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang. It has criticized Chinese authorities for arbitrarily detaining millions of people in mass internment camps and other detention facilities.
Experts believe that Wang Huning’s strategy towards Taiwan is to promote economic integration to achieve political change. By promoting large economies to absorb smaller ones, fostering grassroots connections, and blurring the clear divide between the two sides, this strategy aims to slowly erode Taiwan’s will.
The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference held a conference on “Strengthening the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Relics in Religious Activity Sites.” According to a report by China News Service on March 7th, Yang Faming, President of the Islamic Association of China, pointed out that Chinese mosques have a long history of development, with a large number of precious architectural heritage and cultural relics. He mentioned that during the construction of the Zhenbu Mosque in Xunhua, Qinghai Province, images symbolizing revolution, such as the five-pointed star, sickle and hammer, the Chinese character “gong” (工), and Gorget patches, were carved into the flower tiles and decorated on the ceiling of the main worship hall. He said, “This is a very precious carrier of patriotic and revolutionary traditional culture education, which needs us to organize and promote.”
Chairman Xu Xiaohong of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China emphasized the importance of strengthening the excavation, organization, and protection of religious historical sites and relics at the meeting. He mentioned that some Nestorian Christian relics in China have had a significant international impact and serve as strong evidence of cultural exchanges between East and West along the Silk Road. Similarly, church journals like “Globe Magazine” are important sources for studying modern and contemporary Chinese history, and their rare editions urgently need protection.
