Taoist clergy is told it should submit itself to the supervision of the United Front and instruct its congregations on the Third Plenum’s presentation of Xi as the “Great Reformer.”
by Meng Yaoting
“Strict governance of religion” is a new program (although the slogan existed before) launched at the national seminar on Sinicization of religion of June 26, 2024. It calls for a stricter control of clergy and sermons, and for the acknowledgment that bureaucrats of the government-controlled five authorized religions have not been effective enough in this surveillance. Hence, the direct involvement of the United Front Work Department and the local Communist Party organs in the governance of religious communities.
Progressively, starting with Christians, “strict governance” is being imposed on all government-controlled religions. Provincial “strict governance” training courses and conferences are being organized in August by the China Taoist Association. They also insist on the duty of the Taoist clergy to propagate and explain to the devotees the documents of the recent Third Plenum, presenting Xi Jinping as the “Great Reformer” and the heir of Deng Xiaoping’s “Reform and Opening Up,” and to continue with the “Sinicization” of Taoism.
This may seem strange to outsiders as Taoism is a quintessential Chinese religion and is not in need of being “Sinicized.” However, insiders have long understood that “Sinicization” does not mean adapting a religion to Chinese culture, but to Marxism and the precepts of the Chinese Communist Party. In fact, the August Taoist seminars insist that Taoist communities should implement programs based on the “five identities” or “five identifications” (五个认同): identification with the Great Motherland, identification with the Chinese nation, identification with Chinese culture, identification with the Chinese Communist Party, and identification with socialism with Chinese characteristics.
For example, on August 8 the Yunnan Provincial Taoist Association organized a “council” to promote “strict governance,” the study of the Third Plenum documents, and the “five identities.” In Hebei, a similar meeting was hosted by the Handan Taoist Association on August 12.
In Guizhou, the campaign was presented at an expanded board of directors meeting of the Guiyang Taoist Association on August 2. In Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the same directives were conveyed at the Third Representative Meeting of the Qingtongxia Taoist Association on August 8, which was also attended by representatives of the government-controlled China Buddhist Association and China Islamic Association. Similar Taoist gatherings continue, with the participation of United Front bureaucrats.
