Beijing has been actively transforming religions in order to further its political agenda.

Last February, China’s National Religious Affairs Administration released the regulations called, “Measures for the Administration of Religious Personnel.” Under the regulations, religious groups must follow the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) leadership, publicize the CCP’s directives and policies, and also educate and guide religious believers to support the CCP’s leadership and the socialist system.

Leaked documents from the Chinese Communist Party in Liaoning Province reveal more efforts have been underway to sinicize religions.

The United Front Work Department of the Kuandian County CCP Committee in Liaoning Province disclosed in an internal document dated January 3, 2020, that it would step up efforts to sinicize the Bible.  The document said that it is inevitable to sinicize Christianity and that Christian groups must proactively include core socialist values in their religious activities.

The United Front Work Department of the Dandong City CCP Committee in Liaoning Province stated in an internal document dated May 8, 2020, that, the primary task in sinicizing religions is to “guide religions to adhere to the correct political direction.”

Other CCP documents from Dandong showed that in 2020, local authorities organized a training course titled “Dandong City’s Adherence to the Sinicization of Buddhism” with the theme, “Love the country and love religion, and be a qualified monk in the new era.” These documents also disclosed that the CCP held a number of lectures and preaching competitions, which were “guided by the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party” and resolutely promoted the “sinicization of religions.”

The CCP’s internal documents show that the CCP requires that religions support the CCP leadership and control, and engage in CCP political activities. The Civil Religious Affairs Bureau of Yuanbao District, Dandong City, stated in a work report on April 14, 2021, that [people must] “promote the sinicization of religion and promote the patriotism of religious staff.” The Puji [Buddhist] Palace in Dandong recently laid a wreath in the Korean War Memorial Hall in memory of Chinese soldiers who died in support of North Korea.  Documents also disclosed that on October 25, 2020, the Kuandian County Christian Church celebrated the 70th anniversary of the CCP victory in the 1949 Korean War, as the church conducted its Sunday Christian activity.

Source: Epoch Times, June 18, 2021

https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/6/18/n13031727.htm

Days prior to the 100th anniversary of the communist party, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection published an article and reminded the communist party members that they must never betray the party.

On June 19, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection published an article. Nearly two-thirds of the article was about Gu Shunzhang who is a former security chief and alternate member of the Political Bureau. In 1931, he betrayed the communist party and was arrested. Then in 1935 he tragically died in prison. The article stated that “Never Betray the Party is not just an oath; it is also a political red line.” It reiterated that the party members must display loyalty to the party and that they must unite around the party and never rebel against the party.

The official media also reported that, during his recent visit to Qinghai Province, Xi Jinping told the party members to be loyal to the party. Xi even personally led dozens of officials to a historical exhibition hall to swear to the party oath and pay allegiance to the party.

Source:
1. Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, June 19, 2021
https://www.ccdi.gov.cn/yaowen/202106/t20210619_244195.html
2. Xinhua, June 19, 2021
http://www.qh.xinhuanet.com/2021-06/19/c_11275787p11.htm

A former CCP media official revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sends its intelligence officers as media reporters to spy on the host countries.

During a recent interview, Cheng Kai, former chief correspondent at People’s Daily in Shenzhen and editor-in-chief of Hainan Daily, stated that, based on his experience during the 1980s, over half of the reporters that the CCP media send overseas are intelligence officers.

Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily are minister-level organizations. Other national newspapers such as Guangming Daily, Economic Daily, Farmers’ Daily (Nongmin Ribao), and Workers’ Daily (Gongren Ribao) are deputy ministerial-level organizations. These media are authorized to send reporters overseas. When in the host country, they have considerable responsibilities to collect intelligence for the CCP.

Cheng recounted a memorial service for a former colleague, a People’s Daily reporter stationed in Algeria who died in a car accident. In addition to the president and editor-in-chief of People’s Daily, CCP leaders in charge of intelligence also attended the memorial service. It turned out that the former colleague was a spy and a People’s Daily reporter.

In the 1980s, People’s Daily had over 40 branches overseas. About half of its overseas reporters were officials from the CCP intelligence organization. With a reporter’s pass, it was convenient to interview people in the host countries. These so-called reporters spent most of their time collecting intelligence. One would not see them publish any news reports for as long as a year.

According to Cheng, if a reporter from People’s Daily or Xinhua contacts someone for an interview, the person should first ask himself whether the reporter is a Chinese intelligence officer.

Even reporters from Chinese regional newspapers may be state agents. For example, during his tenure as editor-in-chief of Hainan Daily, the Hainan Provincial CCP Committee directed Cheng to issue 20 Hainan Daily reporter identification cards, 10 to the Hainan Provincial Public Security Department, and 10 to its State Security Department. Cheng did not know who would hold these reporter ID cards. He was assured that he would not be held responsible for the actions of these 20 “reporters.” The CCP would make sure he would not be aware of any activities of these “reporters.’ He believed that these individuals were state agents who were spying on political dissidents.

Source: Epoch Times, June 25, 2021.

https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/6/11/n13015628.htm