Chinese President Xi Jinping said on the 29th that he would accelerate the work of the "Sinicization of religion."
According to state-run China Central Television (CCTV), Xi presided over a group study session of the Communist Party of China's Politburo that day. The topic of the session was the "systematic promotion of the Sinicization of religion."
Presiding over the session, Xi said, "By strengthening comprehensive governance and foundational grassroots work, we must systematically promote the Sinicization of religion in China and actively guide religion to adapt to socialist society."
He added, "As history and practice have proven, only by continuously advancing the Sinicization of religion in China can we promote the mildness (和順) of religion, ethnic harmony, social harmony, and long-term national stability," and said, "As a socialist state led by the Communist Party of China, it is an inevitable requirement to actively guide religion to adapt to socialist society."
He also said, "Guided by the core socialist values, we must lead religious figures and the masses of believers to firmly establish a correct view of the state, history, nation, culture, and religion, and to constantly enhance the 'five identities' (五個認同) so that they voluntarily participate in building Chinese-style modernization."
The five identities Xi mentioned are: ▲ identity with the great motherland ▲ identity with the Chinese nation ▲ identity with Chinese culture ▲ identity with the Communist Party of China ▲ identity with socialism with Chinese characteristics.
He said, "Each religion in China can be healthily passed down only if it takes root in the vast land of China and permeates Chinese culture," adding, "We must lead religious figures and the masses of believers to enhance their identification with Chinese culture."