State-Sanctioned Churches Convene to Advance Sinicization Agenda
(Sichuan – April 22, 2025) Recently, China’s state-sanctioned Christian organizations, the China Christian Council and the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, held the second plenary session of the Committee for Advancing the Sinicization of Christianity in Chengdu, Sichuan. The focus of the meeting was on pushing forward the highly controversial agenda of the “Sinicization of Christianity” and the announcement of the upcoming publication of a new book titled A Reader on the Sinicization of Christianity. This move is widely seen as the latest step in tightening state ideological control over religion and aligning it more closely with the political goals of the Communist Party.
New Book Project Signals Codification of Party-Aligned Theology
According to the China Christian Daily website, the meeting was held from April 9 to 11 and was chaired by Pastor Yue Qinghua, Vice President of the China Christian Council. He also introduced the compilation process of the book. The meeting discussed the outline of the book, its target audience, and the composition of the editorial team, and it showed that the state is systematically constructing a Christian discourse aligned with its standards of Sinicization.
Party Loyalty Embedded in Church Leadership and Education
This meeting extended far beyond matters of church affairs. The agenda included a collective study session led by Pastor Shan Weixiang, who is a deputy to the National People’s Congress (China’s top legislative body). According to the report, Shan Weixiang conveyed to church leaders the key messages from President Xi Jinping’s recent speeches at the national “Two Sessions” (National People’s Congress and National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) and shared highlights from the government work report.
This arrangement starkly revealed the core of the so-called Sinicization of Christianity, requiring the religious community to align closely with the Party, placing political education and loyalty (to the Party) at the heart of the practice of faith.
Critics Warn of Political Campaign Disguised as Religious Reform
The official narrative of “Sinicization of Christianity” emphasizes harmony with Chinese culture and socialist society. Critics argue this is, in reality, a top-down political campaign intended to undermine the universality and independence of Christianity, subordinating it to the Party-state system.
The editing and promotion of this new book project, along with related initiatives such as art and calligraphy exhibitions, is seen as part of the concrete implementation of the Five-Year Work Plan For Further Advancing the Sinicization of Christianity (2023–2027), aimed at systematically transforming theology, worship, and church governance to conform with state ideology.
Religious Freedom and Unregistered House Churches Under Threat
Observers noted that the inclusion of political study, especially of the CCP leader’s speeches, into Christian conference agendas and the fact that such sessions are led by individuals with official political roles further blurs the line between religion and politics. This raises serious concerns about the state of religious freedom, especially for believers and unregistered house churches that insist on maintaining independence and resisting excessive government interference, who are likely to face increasing pressure.
The report also highlighted arranged field visits during the meeting, such as trips to the China Christian Council and Tian’en Church in Guanghan City, as well as viewing of relevant exhibitions.
These arrangements seem to be more for the purpose of showcasing model Sinicization projects with the intention of shaping an officially approved, politically correct image of Christianity.
Though presented under the guise of religious development and cultural integration, the political and ideological motives behind this meeting and the new publication are unmistakably strong. They mark a continued and deepening effort by Chinese authorities to transform Christianity. The future of Christianity in China now faces significant challenges in terms of space for growth and autonomy.
(Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai of ChinaAid)
