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Chinese Religious Leaders Hail Promulgation of Religious Rules
The rules on religious activities of aliens China issued Tuesday will better protect the religious freedom of foreigners in China and ensure their normal religious activities, said the leaders of China's five major religions at a symposium Wednesday.
The State Administration of Religious Affairs issued Tuesday the Rules for the Implementation of the Provisions on the Administration of Religious Activities of Aliens within the Territory of the People's Republic of China, detailing the regulations on religious activities of foreigners in China.
Bishop Fu Tieshan, chairman of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, presided over the symposium and said that with a growing number of foreigners participating in religious activities in China and China's increasing religious and cultural exchanges with other countries, rules of this kind are needed to strengthen administration.
Qoxi, president of the China Advanced Institute of Tibetan Buddhism, said, "the rules stipulate that the Chinese government respects the freedom of religious belief of aliens within Chinese territory, whether they believe in religion or not, or whichever religion they believe in. This demonstrates the determination of the Chinese government to uphold the policy of religious freedom as well as its sincerity of respecting foreigners' religious freedom, which, will be definitely applauded by the international religious circles."
Haji Shamsiddin Mahmud, vice-chairman of the Islamic Association of China, agreed with Qoxi. "Since 1994, our association has received 2,400 foreign believers and they expressed appreciation for the religious freedom policy adopted by the Chinese government," he said, adding that all Islamic countries have issued similar rules.
Chen Meilin, a senior official from the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of Protestant Churches of China, said the rules protect the legitimate rights of religious bodies and ensure normal exchanges between Chinese religious organizations and foreign religious circles.
Min Zhiting, president of the China Taoist Association, said, "Taoism is a native religion of China, and with the development of cultural exchange, Taoism has more and more foreign converts, so the issuance of the rules is in the interest of Taoism."
Monk Yan Jue from the Buddhist Association of China said the rules, which regulate the religious activities of foreigners in China, safeguard the nation's legal system and sovereignty.
Participants all agreed that the rules are workable for they detail every aspect of religious activities by foreigners in China. The rules embody the principle of maintaining the independence of religious organizations in China and protect the religious freedom and normal religious activities of foreigners in China.
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