While religion increasingly grows in China, Muslims and Christians alike continue to face opposition from the Chinese government. At the surface level, China approves of religion. The CCP officially recognizes five major practiced faiths– Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, and Taoism– along with many folk beliefs. The principle of religious freedom is also included in Article 36 of the nation’s constitution, and there is even a State Administration of Religious Affairs that manages the official religious organizations within China.
However, despite the appearance of religious freedom, the CCP imposes heavy restrictions on religion and those practicing it. Hence, various human rights organizations around the world consistently rank China among the top nations for religious persecution.
Many of the CCP’s restrictions are imposed through the same freedoms the country claims to offer. The provision for religious persecution included in Article 36 states that “no one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the education system of the state,” and protection for religious freedom is limited to “normal religious activities.” The critical issue with Article 36 is its vagueness, which enables the Chinese authorities to have a large degree of room when determining which practices are in accordance with CCP policies, and which are not consistent with the state’s guidelines. Additionally, due to the State Administration of Religious Affairs’ control over religion in China, the CCP has official control over the selection of clergy, religious appointments, and doctrine interpretation. Both of those factors have enabled the CCP to legally imprison and harass members of the religious communities in China.
One ethnic group whose plight has received global attention over the past few years is the Uighurs, who are majority Muslim. Reports emerged in 2017 with news that the CCP was placing over 1.5 million Muslim Uighurs in at least 85 internment camps. While the Chinese government at first denied the existence of such camps, they eventually acknowledged the presence of “re-education centers” after receiving international pressure. Testimonies from those who were released from the camps specifically point to religion as the motivation behind the government’s actions. Further details have further emerged, including stories of torture, forced sterilizations, and other horrible acts including forced labor and beatings. Some organizations warn that the CCP may be seeking to eventual wipe out or at least severely limit the Muslim Uighur population from the nation, based on the government’s actions of forced sterilization, limits on reproduction, and even forced abortions. While international pressure on the CCP continues to grow, so far the Chinese government has given little ease to their oppression of the Muslim Uighurs.
Another religious group the CCP consistently targets is Christians, especially those who are not a part of the Chinese government’s official churches. While it is difficult to estimate exact numbers of Christians, estimates range anywhere from 80 million to 130 million Protestants, with only 30 million attending official churches. In addition to the Protestant population, there are an estimated 10-12 million Catholics in China. Unfortunately, being a large minority provides little help for those attempting to live out their faith apart from government organizations. According to Open Doors, an organization dedicated to supporting persecuted Christians, China is ranked 17th among all countries for where it is “most difficult and dangerous to practice Christianity.” Oppression by the Chinese government includes the arrest and interrogation of many connected to the Christian faith, the destruction of thousands of churches, and the tearing down of religious symbols like the Cross. Religious freedom is continuously being eroded, with the CCP now strictly enforcing their ban on the online sale of Bibles. Some reports detail financial awards for citizens who disclose information on Christians and other religious minorities to their regional governments. Besides government restrictions, local social pressures also play a role in the perfection of Christians, including physical harm and forced divorces.
Unfortunately, there is no easy or clear way forward for those looking to bring an end to the CCP’s religious persecution. President Xi Jinping’s policy of Sinicization, the idea of bringing everyone in China under a Han Chinese culture, has caused religious persecution to increase over the past few years, even despite increased international scrutiny. The CCP depends on a unified cultural identity in order to remain in control. As religion has the ability to sway people away from the Communist Party’s ideology, it will always be perceived as a threat by the CCP. Because of this, many organizations and think tanks are pushing for religious freedom to become a key part of America’s foreign policy, especially towards major world players like China. After all, the freedom to live out one’s personal beliefs is a critical part of a free and secure society, and is critically needed when countering the influence of totalitarian nations like China.
