Highlighting that religions in the country should adapt to the socialist society being pursued by the ruling Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping has said that Islam in China must be Chinese in orientation.
Jinping’s statement comes after his first visit to the controversial region of Xinjiang since 2014 where a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have allegedly been detained in camps.
Stressing on fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, Xi underlined the need to improve the governance capacity of religious affairs and realise the healthy development of religions.
State-run Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying that enhanced efforts should be made to ensure that the normal religious needs of believers should be united closely around the party and the government.
Calling for educating and guiding people of all ethnic groups to strengthen their identification with the motherland, he emphasised the importance of cultural identity.
The East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is active in the region, has been accused by China of carrying out numerous terrorist attacks.
Insisting that its policies have helped combat the threat of Islamic extremism, China has denied Western allegations labelling its actions in Xinjiang a “genocide”.
After a long drawn-out negotiation process with Beijing, UN Human Rights Council chief Michelle Bachelet recently visited Xinjiang and raised concerns over the application of counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation measures by China.
Jinping, who is all set to secure a third consecutive term at the helm of the world’s second-largest economy, is widely expected to break with decades of Communist Party precedent.