(Beijing, China – January 5, 2023) On the eve of Christmas, Wang Huning, president of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, met with the newly elected leaders of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council. He urged Christian groups to enhance their political advocacy for the Communist Party with the “Five Identifications,” uphold the principle that “Protestantism in China must be Chinese in orientation” (sinicization of Christianity) and strengthen its promotion of “telling the Chinese religious stories well” in international exchanges.
The 11th National Chinese Christian Congress of officially approved Christian organizations established after the founding of the People’s Republic of China was held in Beijing from the 20th to the 21st. According to the official report from the China Christian Council, the newly elected leaders are Xu Xiaohong, the 11th Chairman of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China, and Wu Wei, the 9th President of the China Christian Council. The conference reviewed and approved the work report and newly revised constitution of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council.
In fact, both were reelected after gaining credibility under the watchful eye of the Chinese Communist Party.
According to the news from the official Chinese propaganda agency Xinhua, Wang Huning, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, met with members of the 11th National Chinese Christian Congress held in Beijing. In the meeting, Wang Huning emphasized that the new leadership of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council should fully acquire a profound understanding of the Party’s theories and policies on religion. And should continue to strengthen their identification with the motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Party, and socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Wang Huning, who has always been known as a renowned theorist of the present Chinese Communist Party, has consistently advocated that China needs a strong authoritarian government to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in order to overcome the shadows of century-long humiliation and backwardness. To strengthen political stability, he fully supports the Party and its leaders in exerting control over the entire population, with religious organizations identified as important targets for united front work to assist in the nation’s great rejuvenation and development.
During the meeting with Christian leaders, Wang Huning openly urged the Chinese protestant community to “deeply study and thoroughly understand General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important exposition on religious work.”
Wang Huning also emphatically required the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China and China Christian Council to adhere to “full and strict governance,” and follow the direction of “Sinicization of Christianity,” conducting religious activities in accordance with the law and regulations. He called for the establishment of teaching personnel that are “politically reliable” and “effective in critical situations.” Regarding foreign relations, there was an emphasis on “telling the Chinese religious stories well” to dispel the long-standing stereotypical impression the West has regarding religious persecution in China.
China has long advocated the principle of “independence and self-management” in churches. This meeting is a political attempt to sever connections between Chinese Christianity and the world, whether in theological discourse, the inheritance of traditional culture, or the organizational structure of churches. Wang Huning emphasized the need to “adhere to the direction of Sinicization of Christianity, adhere to the principle of independence and self-management, and provide interpretations of doctrines that are compatible with the requirements of contemporary Chinese development and progress, also compatible with the core socialist values and the interpretation of excellent traditional Chinese culture.”
Wang Huning’s meeting with Christian leaders this time aims to guide Chinese protestant figures and believers to contribute to the “realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
As a materialistic and atheistic leader of a political party, the leader in the highest position of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Wang Huning’s participation in the meeting attempts to convey the party’s intention to rigorously control the spread of Western influences, particularly related to Christianity in China.
Over the past decade, this political party has intensified its interference, control, and surveillance of the personal beliefs of Chinese citizens. The space for religious practices, which had expanded during the forty years of economic reform and opening up to attract foreign investment, has significantly diminished. The days of religious relaxation over the past forty years have come to an end.
