Xu Xiaohong is vowing to rid Christianity in the country of any Western "imprint," calling for further "sinicisation" of religion.

Xu says there are many problems with Christianity in the country, including "infiltration" from abroad and "private meeting places".

"Anti-China forces in the west are trying to continue to influence China's social stability and even subvert our country's political power through Christianity, and it is doomed to fail," he said, speaking to parliament's largely ceremonial advisory body.

"For individual black sheep who, under the banner of Christianity, participate in subverting national security, we firmly support the country to bring them to justice."

He told delegates to a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing that it's necessary to "recognise that Chinese churches are surnamed ‘China,' not ‘the West'.

Because Christianity was spread to China at a time when Western powers were invading the country, Xu pointed out that the religion will always be connected to the "West".

Western influence, he said, made the churches in China want to stay independent and focus on themselves.

"Therefore, people often say: 'One more Christian, one less Chinese'".

Eliminating the "stigma of foreign religion" in China's Christianity is the only way its believers can benefit society, he said.

"Only by continually drawing on the fine traditions of Chinese culture can China's Christianity be rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture and become a religion recognised by the Chinese themselves.

"Only by continuously carrying forward and practising the core values ​​of socialism can our Christianity truly be suited to socialist society."

Source

• Christian Post
• The Guardian
• Reuters
• Image: Daily Mail

A priest says removing the Christian images involved officials giving money to poor households in return for hanging Xi's portrait.

Officials from China's Yugan County in eastern Jiangxi province say Christians have "recognised their mistakes and decided not to entrust to Jesus but to the (Communist) Party".

The officials also say they are "converting" Christians to party loyalty by alleviating poverty and other schemes to help the disadvantaged.

Nearly 10 percent of Yugan County's one million people is said to be Christian.

A priest in northern China says he thinks Xi has become "another Mao" Zedong since the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in October.

The priest thinks officials around the country will probably imitate the Jiangxi province's actions.

Next February, new "Regulations on Religious Affairs" will be implemented.

Chinese Christians and observers believe this policy will closely follow Xi's "Sinicization" model.

Sinicization is a process where non-Chinese societies come under the influence of Chinese culture.

The director of the divinity school at the Chinese University of Hong Kong has pointed to the dangers of 'Chairman Mao'-style personality cults.

During the Cultural Revolution, religious intolerance and Mao Zedong's dogma prevailed.

Young Red Guards used to arrest and publicly humiliate anyone thought to be deviating from Mao's teachings.

Although Chinese priests don't think there will be a return to the Cultural Revolution conditions, they say they are afraid religious and social controls will intensify.

Videos urging children to spy on their families and other videos teaching children to report family members who could pose a threat to national security have been released.

An official notice said the videos were produced to match Xi's strategy of incorporating national security objectives into the education system.

Source

• UCA News
• Catholic Herald
• Catholic Philly
• Image: China Christian Daily