Chinese religious groups warned of ‘hidden danger’ from foreign infiltration

United Front chief Li Ganjie’s message to faith groups follows Xi Jinping’s call to ‘Sinicise’ religion in meeting with Tibet’s Panchen Lama

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The latest warning echoes Xi Jinping’s comments during his recent meeting with the Panchen Lama. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 2:00pm, 21 Jun 2025Updated: 2:52pm, 21 Jun 2025

The head of China’s United Front Work Department, the Communist Party body that oversees religious organisations, has warned faith groups to guard against “hidden dangers in the religious field and resolutely resist foreign infiltration”.

Li Ganjie visited a number of religious organisations this week to deliver the warning, state news agency Xinhua reported.

It follows a series of similar warnings by senior figures, including President Xi Jinping, who called for continued efforts to promote the “Sinicisation of religion” in a meeting with the Panchen Lama earlier this month.

The Panchen Lama is the second-highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, after the Dalai Lama. The incumbent was selected by Beijing in a controversial process that passed over the Dalai Lama’s chosen candidate.

China’s top security official, Chen Wenqing, the head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, also called for the defeat of “separatism” during a visit to Qinghai province, birthplace of the exiled Dalai Lama, earlier this month.

The slew of Chinese leaders checking on religious matters comes just weeks before the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday on July 6.

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