Lest anyone was in any doubt about the intentions of the Communist Party towards Christianity under Xi Jinping’s leadership, the announcement by Wang Yang at a recent meeting of religious leaders should make it quite clear that there is no room for alternative narratives or interpretations (“ Bring scripture in line with socialism, religious chiefs told ”, November 28). The Party’s ideology must not only prevail but must be reflected throughout all religious narratives in China. Although the work of Sinicising religion has been in progress for a while and in some senses is nothing new, emphasising the importance of the work at the highest levels of the Politburo sends an important message to the rest of the world. In China, politics and ideology go hand in hand; there is no separation of religion and state. As we enter into the Christmas season, the irony of the timing of the announcement will not be missed by discerning Christians in China. They will realise that the astounding announcements of the birth of the Christ child were not just the comforting news that God had come to redeem his people, but that he was destined to be Christ the King. In King Herod’s mind, such was the political turmoil this announcement brought, that he resorted to the genocide of all male children under the age of two. China has rightly understood the transformative effect Christianity can have on a society. But it won’t be able to subvert its power by mandating the manipulation of a few doctrines here and a few passages of scripture there. The Christian faith has proved through history its resilience in the face of persecution . No doubt it will do so again. Tony Read, Aberdeen