China is extending its anti-religious influence across the globe, driven by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) aggressive stance on religious control. The CCP’s disdain for religious freedom, particularly its intense persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, has set a dangerous precedent that is now being emulated by other authoritarian regimes.
The Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual movement, has faced severe repression in China, including forced organ harvesting—a barbaric practice that echoes medieval cruelty. This persecution is not confined within China’s borders; it has gone global. China’s “no limits” partnership with Russia has led to coordinated crackdowns on Falun Gong practitioners in Russian cities, demonstrating the CCP’s transnational reach in religious oppression.
Russia’s recent raids on Falun Gong practitioners came as President Vladimir Putin prepared for a state visit to China, where he likely used these actions to curry favor with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This suppression aligns with the CCP’s broader strategy to control religious practices and eliminate any perceived threats to its atheist ideology.
The situation is similar in Nicaragua, where President Daniel Ortega has shifted his stance on religious freedom after aligning closely with China. In December 2021, Ortega severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China and subsequently ramped up persecution against the Catholic Church and evangelical communities. Priests and pastors were imprisoned, churches desecrated, and religious institutions shut down. Ortega’s crackdown on religion is a clear reflection of the CCP’s influence, as he follows China’s model of religious control.
Ortega’s actions have plunged Nicaragua into a state of religious repression, erasing the previously tense yet peaceful coexistence between the government and faith communities. With over 80% of Nicaraguans identifying as Christians, this shift marks a significant change in the country’s social fabric, driven by Chinese influence and financial incentives.
China’s export of sophisticated surveillance technology further exacerbates this global trend. These tools, including facial recognition and keyword data search systems, allow authoritarian regimes to monitor and suppress religious activities. The CCP’s strategy involves providing these technologies at subsidized prices, enabling dictators to maintain tight control over their populations.
This technological prowess aligns with the CCP’s view that religion should serve the state’s interests. By equipping other authoritarian regimes with advanced surveillance capabilities, China ensures that religious practices are tightly controlled, mirroring its domestic policies.
The 2024 report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) highlights the worsening religious freedom conditions in China. The report notes that the CCP’s policy of “Sinicization” demands that all major religious groups conform to the party’s ideology. This policy has led to the demolition of religious sites, forced assimilation, and severe persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, Muslims, and Tibetan Buddhists.
In regions like Xinjiang and Tibet, the CCP’s repression has reached alarming levels. Uyghurs and Tibetans face intense surveillance, imprisonment, and forced labor, with cultural and religious identities under constant threat. The CCP’s control extends to religious texts and doctrines, altering them to fit its Marxist interpretation.
The CCP’s influence extends beyond its borders, using transnational repression to silence critics and dissidents worldwide. This “malignant influence” targets Uyghurs, Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, and members of persecuted religious groups seeking asylum.
The global community must recognize and confront China’s expanding anti-religious influence. The USCIRF’s recommendations for vigorous denunciation of religious oppression in China and other authoritarian states are crucial. Supporting religious liberty and exposing the CCP’s global strategy of religious control is essential to safeguarding freedom of belief worldwide. As China continues its crusade against religious freedom, the world must not remain silent.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/may/13/chinas-religious-oppression-persecution-goes-trans