Reported By Palden
Edited By Pema Tso
Translated by TenGyal
This year, the Political Bureau of Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP Politburo) convened the so-called 22nd “collective study meeting” focused on the need to promote systematic sinicization of religions in China. In the meeting, it was stated that greater efforts must be made to transform the Tibetan Buddhist traditions to bear Chinese characteristics.
On the evening of September 29th, the CCP Politburo held its 22nd collective study session, which focussed on the need to advance the systematic sinicization of religions in China.Chinese president Xi Jinping addressed the meeting ,calling for diligent effort to ensure that the Tibetan Buddhist traditions adapt to the Chinese socialist society.
During the session, Xi stated, “Drawing on and applying historical experience, we must base our approach on actual realities of actual religious work in China and take systematic steps to ensure that all the religions in China are Chinese in orientation so that they can adapt to socialist society. It is imperative to uphold core socialist values as guiding principles to help religious figures and believers develop a correct understanding of the nation, history, ethnicity, culture and religion, thereby fostering a sustained and seamless recognition of these five.”
On July 6th this year Xi Jinping also met with Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese appointed Panchen Lama .During their meeting, Xi urged Gyaltsen Norbu to remain steadfast and persevere in efforts towards the unification of the motherland, while working effectively to foster a sense of community for the sake of the nation. Xi further emphasized the need to transform Tibetan Buddhist traditions with Chinese characteristics and to continue advancing the modernization of Tibet.
As part of the policy to sinicize Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the so-called “Measures for the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services”, implemented in 2022, mandate that any promotion of religious culture and activities in society through live broadcasts, audio recordings, photographs, writings, videos, or other such similar means on social networks such as messaging platforms, blogs, and WeChat, must receive approval and permits from the Office of the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services”. These Measures further stipulate that the legal representatives and principal heads of such organizations or institutes engaged in the promotion of religious activities must be a lawful residents of the mainland territory of People’s Republic of China holding national identity cards. They are also required to employ information verification personnel familiar with the state’s policies and regulations on religion and religious knowledge and have no criminal record or conduct in violation of state religious management provisions in the last 3 years. The Internet Religious Information Services permit must be renewed every three years following a review process. The Measures explicitly forbids the use of the Internet Religious Information Services permit for fundraising or for establishing and promoting religious institutes, organizations or activities.
At so-called the 7th Tibet Work Forum held from August 28th to 29th, 2020 in Beijing, Xi Jinping delivered a speech in noting that Tibetan Buddhism had yet to be not fully integrated and adapted Chinese characteristics, and therefore called for intensified efforts towards its sinicization. Following this, campaigns promoting the sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism were implemented with even greater force than before. The same year, on November 12th, in the so called the Tibetan Buddhism Doctrinal Interpretation Seminar held in Beijing, officials emphasized the need to align Tibetan Buddhist doctrines to contemporary developmental goals.Earlier in April in the same year, the Chinese government had issued forceful directives requiring that the architectural design of Tibetan temples and monasteries, including the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, and as well as religious artifacts, be transformed to reflect Chinese characteristics. The authorities have gone so far as to inscribe propaganda slogans calling for “ ethnic unity”, “patriotism for the motherland”, and “ promotion of nationalism and religious patriotism” on the walls and surfaces of assembly halls, stupas and Mani prayer wheels within monasteries and temples.
Since Xi Jinping assumed power and leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2012, the Chinese government has issued four key documents concerning religious affairs in Tibet. These include the so-called National Security Blue Book in 2014, the Regulation on Religious and China’s Policies and Practices on Protecting Freedom of Religious Belief in 2018, and the “Measures for the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services” in 2022. In addition, dozens of other regulations have been introduced in Tibet to tighten state control over religion and regulate the monasteries and temples. In 2017, Wu Yingjie, then Communist Party Secretary of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and now imprisoned, declared at the Tibet Religious Conference that Tibetan Buddhism must be transformed to reflect Chinese orientation and characteristics. This marked the first public statement explicitly calling for the transformation of Tibetan Buddhism to embody Chinese characteristics and idealogical alignment.
