Following the teachings of Marxism-Leninism, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) official position on organized religion is atheistic, and party doctrine prohibits CCP members from practicing or believing in religions. That being said, the CCP does allow for small numbers of Daoist, Buddhist, and Christians to worship in China provided that they are willing to practice their faiths on the CCP’s terms. This enables the CCP to showcase the “religious freedom” in China. Meanwhile, the CCP enacts continuous “revolutionizing” of those religions and demands that such religious groups bow to the CCP’s leadership.
Recently, the CCP established the World Federation of Daoism (WFD) in Beijing. According to The People’s Political Consultative Conference website, the WFD “is an international, voluntary organization formed by Taoist groups, Taoist temples, Taoist-related institutions and celebrities who believe in Taoism or love Taoist culture in various countries (regions). It is a professional, non-profit social organization with 52 founding members and is located in Beijing, China.”
On January 30, the CCP held an unveiling ceremony at the new WFD headquarters in Beijing. Li Guangfu, Chairman of the WFD, stated that the WFD “has established a new platform for Daoists at home and abroad to unite, collaborate, and explore the contemporary value of Daoist culture.”
Source: People’s Political Consultative Conference website, February 2, 2024
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