The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a “Religious Freedom in China” factsheet in December. Entitled “State-Controlled Religion and Religious Freedom Violations in China,” it discusses China’s state-controlled “patriotic religious associations” and their role in what it calls the “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom” in China.
Under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCPs) rule, five religions are officially recognized in China. They are Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. Seven state-controlled organizations officially preside over these religious communities, making sure that they are “patriotic” and “politically loyal to the CCP.”
Religious Believers Must Be Patriotic and Loyal to the CCP
The seven religious organizations, each with its own nationwide network of subsidiaries, are the Buddhist Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China, the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement, China Christian Council, and the Islamic Association of China….