In the grand narrative of global power dynamics, the relationship between faith and state power often reveals the true character of a regime. In China, this relationship is not one of coexistence or tolerance, but of fundamental conflict. Religious persecution in China is neither accidental nor isolated; it is a defining feature of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) long-term strategy to consolidate ideological and political dominance. Faith represents an existential challenge to authoritarian regimes precisely because it demands allegiance to a higher moral order, a truth that transcends earthly political control. The CCP sees this as intolerable, viewing spiritual belief as a direct competitor for the ultimate loyalty of its citizens.
Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, the CCP has elevated its campaign against spiritual belief into a nationwide mission. Churches, mosques, and temples are not only monitored but systematically reshaped into vessels of state propaganda. The core objective is not simply suppression—it is the wholesale transformation of the soul, forcing individuals to prioritize Party doctrine above all else. This pervasive control is not merely an internal matter. As China grows in international influence, the persecution of faith within its borders reverberates far beyond. As scholar-commentator Heng He has repeatedly testified, what begins with coercion at home often expands into exported tactics abroad, challenging global norms of human rights and religious freedom.
The Logic of Ideological Warfare
The CCP’s approach to religion is rooted in a deep-seated ideological conviction that leaves no room for independent belief systems. In a totalitarian state, any allegiance that is not directed solely at the Party is perceived as a threat to its absolute authority.
Faith and Loyalty: A Competing Allegiance
In his profound series, 漫談黨文化 (Discussions on Party Culture), Dr. Tianliang Zhang outlines with exceptional clarity how the CCP’s worldview perceives belief as a rival ideology. In a regime where the Party is supreme and claims to be the sole interpreter of truth and progress, faith in something higher—whether God, Buddha, or Universal Truth—must either be subordinated to Party control or be utterly eradicated. The CCP cannot tolerate the idea that an individual might possess an inner moral compass or a set of convictions that originate outside the Party’s dictates.
The regime’s response to this perceived threat is meticulously calculated: redefine religious texts, outlaw unsanctioned gatherings, and surveil worship as a direct threat to national security. The CCP’s ideological logic dictates that no institution, no community, and certainly no human conscience can exist outside its all-encompassing authority. This extends to rewriting religious scriptures to align with socialist values and patriotic education, effectively turning spiritual spaces into political classrooms. This process is not a reformation but a subversion, aimed at neutralizing the independent moral authority of faith.
Case Focus: CCP Crackdown on Religion and the Brutality Against Falun Gong
The CCP crackdown on religion has escalated dramatically since 2018 with the rigorous implementation of “Sinicization” campaigns. This policy mandates that all religious practices and symbols conform to the Party’s vision of Chinese culture, effectively stripping faiths of their universal principles and transforming them into instruments of state control. Churches have been ordered to replace crosses with national flags, demonstrating a clear hierarchy where the Party flag reigns supreme. Sermons must now include explicit praise for the Communist Party, shifting the focus from spiritual teachings to political allegiance. In Xinjiang, the “Sinicization” campaign has manifested in horrific ways, with mosques being bulldozed, religious practices criminalized, and an estimated million or more Uyghur Muslims facing forced reeducation, arbitrary detention, and systemic human rights abuses, often amounting to cultural genocide.
Beyond these widespread crackdowns on established religions, the CCP has reserved its most brutal and systematic persecution for specific spiritual groups deemed an existential threat to its ideological monopoly. This includes a relentless campaign against Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline based on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, which gained immense popularity in China in the 1990s. The Party, fearing its independent growth and moral appeal, launched a sweeping campaign of repression in 1999. Since then, millions of Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested, detained, tortured, and even killed.
Dr. Sean Lin, a medical scientist and Executive Director of the Consilium Institute, has publicly spoken and testified about forced organ harvesting involving Falun Gong detainees, citing extensive evidence that healthy practitioners have been executed on demand for their organs. This horrific practice combines extreme physical brutality with the ultimate spiritual annihilation, treating human beings as mere repositories for organs to be profited from. The global silence that surrounds such practices reflects a troubling moral ambivalence in the international system, often prioritizing economic ties over fundamental human rights. The CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong stands as a stark testament to the regime’s capacity for extreme cruelty when confronted with a faith that refuses to bend its knee to political authority.
Surveillance State and Digital Faith Control
The CCP’s sophisticated use of technology to suppress religion is one of the most insidious elements of modern authoritarianism. In China, the omnipresent surveillance state extends its reach into every aspect of citizens’ lives, including their spiritual practices. Apps monitor online Bible reading groups, flagging content deemed “illegal” or “subversive.” Facial recognition cameras are installed in churches, mosques, and temples, linking congregants’ faces to national databases and monitoring their attendance and activities. This digital dragnet allows the Party to identify, track, and ultimately control religious adherents with chilling precision.
According to Mr. Tang Jingyuan, a research fellow at the Consilium Institute and independent media commentator known for his in-depth research into the operational mechanisms of the CCP system, these tactics are not confined to China’s borders; they are exportable. China’s model of digital authoritarianism, including its methods of faith control, is increasingly becoming a template for other authoritarian governments seeking to exert similar control over their populations. This raises profound global concerns about privacy, human rights, and the future of digital freedom.
From National Suppression to Global Consequences
The issue of religious persecution in China extends far beyond human rights violations that China faces domestically; it has profound geopolitical implications. The CCP’s internal policies reverberate globally, challenging the very notion of universal human rights and influencing international norms.
International Silence and Strategic Complicity
A disturbing aspect of this crisis is the pervasive international silence and, in some cases, strategic complicity. Many international institutions, including certain UN agencies, and a significant number of Western corporations, turn a blind eye to the egregious abuses occurring within China. Their silence is often purchased through economic dependency, as lucrative market access and investment opportunities are prioritized over moral principles. This tacit approval provides the CCP with a crucial shield against global condemnation, enabling it to continue its repressive policies unchecked.
Dr. Tianliang Zhang warns that tolerating religious repression in China ultimately endangers global religious freedom. When powerful regimes can suppress belief without significant international consequence, the idea of universal rights—including freedom of conscience, thought, and belief—collapses. It sets a dangerous precedent, emboldening other authoritarian states to similarly curtail fundamental freedoms without fear of reprisal.
Cultural and Diplomatic Fronts
The CCP actively uses its cultural exchange and soft power institutions—like Confucius Institutes, though many have now been closed due to international scrutiny—to whitewash its persecution narratives and project a sanitized image of religious harmony within China. These platforms are often deployed to counter any critical discourse on its human rights record. Simultaneously, Beijing exerts immense diplomatic and economic pressure on foreign governments to avoid criticizing its treatment of faith groups. This includes threatening economic retaliation, leveraging influence in international bodies, and engaging in “wolf warrior” diplomacy to deflect criticism. The result is a global environment increasingly hostile to spiritual autonomy, where the principles of human rights are sacrificed at the altar of political expediency.
The Role of the West and the Call for Conscience
Democratic nations, particularly those in the West, must reassess their engagement with China not merely in economic terms, but in profound ethical and civilizational terms. The foundational values of liberal democracies are directly challenged by the CCP’s systematic suppression of faith. While sanctions, investigations, and public awareness campaigns are desperately needed, there must be a more fundamental cultural awakening that freedom of belief is not negotiable. This is not solely about defending the rights of Chinese believers; it is about defending the integrity of liberal values themselves.
If the West continues to privilege market access over moral clarity, if it allows economic incentives to silence its conscience, it will find that it is not just Chinese believers who suffer—but the very integrity of the international human rights system and the liberal values it purports to uphold. The compromise of principles in one sphere inevitably leads to their erosion in others.
Recommendations for Moral Policy Realignment
- Legislate Targeted Sanctions: Implement targeted sanctions against Chinese officials and institutions directly involved in faith persecution. This includes visa bans, asset freezes, and public naming of individuals complicit in systemic religious repression, making it clear that there are consequences for egregious human rights violations.
- Restrict Partnerships with Institutions of Control: Rigorously review and restrict partnerships with Chinese institutions, particularly in academia, culture, and technology, that are demonstrably engaged in ideological control or surveillance. Academic, cultural, and technological exchanges must be subject to rigorous human rights due diligence, especially where Party oversight is deeply embedded.
- Empower Independent Investigations: Support and empower independent tribunals to investigate crimes against humanity, such as forced organ harvesting, which has disproportionately affected Falun Gong practitioners. These bodies must operate across national lines, be equipped with robust investigatory authority, enact survivor protection protocols, and possess the capacity to present their findings at prominent international forums, thereby building irrefutable legal cases.
- Amplify Voices of the Persecuted: Actively support grassroots religious communities in exile and amplify their testimonies. Their lived experience is the moral counterweight to the CCP’s pervasive propaganda and disinformation campaigns. Their voices should directly guide public opinion, shape diplomatic pressure, and inform policy decisions aimed at protecting religious freedom globally.
- Foster International Coalitions: Build stronger international coalitions among like-minded democratic nations to collectively address religious persecution in China. Coordinated diplomatic pressure, joint statements, and shared intelligence can significantly enhance the impact of individual nation’s efforts.
Conclusion: The Sacred Cannot Be Subjugated
Persecuting belief is not a sign of strength; it is a profound sign of fear. The CCP fears faith precisely because it cannot be fully controlled. It fears belief because it transcends political obedience, offering an allegiance that is not to the Party. Most fundamentally, it fears faith because it awakens what totalitarianism desperately tries to extinguish—the independent human soul, capable of seeking truth and choosing moral principles beyond state mandate.
At the Consilium Institute, we believe that defending religious freedom in China is about more than protecting the right to worship. It is about protecting universal truth, preserving the essence of human civilization, and upholding human dignity. What the CCP systematically tries to erase—the independent spirit and the sacred yearning for truth—must be what the world chooses to defend. The global community’s response to this authoritarian challenge will define not only the future of religious freedom but also the integrity of a truly free and just international order.