Senior Chinese official attacks foreign leaders for meeting Dalai Lama as he promises to crack down on religious separatists
Government highlights drive to make religions more ‘Chinese’ as it warns against religiously inspired secessionists
A senior Chinese officials has criticised foreign leaders for meeting the Dalai Lama, and vowed to stop religiously inspired secessionist movements.
Zhang Yijiong, vice-minister of the United Front Work Department – the agency responsible for relations with non-Communist groups – said on Saturday that the Communist Party had made progress on the “Sinofication” of religions.
Human rights observers have reported an official crackdown on religious activities, including Tibetan Buddhism of which Dalai Lama is the leader, but the central government has denied the accusation and emphasised the need for public security.
“We strong oppose infiltrating, secessionist and disruptive activities and violent acts of terrorism in the name of religion,” Zhang said on the sidelines of the party congress.
Efforts to make foreign religions such as Christianity more “Chinese” are ongoing and the Communist Party has issued“clear, strong and effective” guidance on religious work, he said.