Religious Independence

Freedom from Foreign Control Religious independence means freedom from foreign domination or control. Management of religious affairs remains the exclusive responsibility of followers of religions in China. Informing this decision are historical facts about a prolonged period of imperialist aggression and plunder in China, during which some religious organizations were manipulated and controlled by imperialist forces in pursuit of their interests. Religious independence, a choice by China’s religious believers themselves, has been and remains a key principle that guides China’s religious organizations in handling relations with their foreign counterparts. To preserve such independence, a distinction has to be made between foreign infiltration and interference under the cloak of religion and normal religious exchanges. Friendly interactions between China’s religious groups and their overseas counterparts on the basis of equality and mutual respect are encouraged.

獨(dú)立自主辦教

獨(dú)立自主自辦是指中國(guó)的宗教事業(yè)由中國(guó)的宗教信徒自主辦理，不受外國(guó)勢(shì)力的支配和控制。堅(jiān)持獨(dú)立自主自辦，是基于我國(guó)曾經(jīng)長(zhǎng)期遭受帝國(guó)主義侵略和掠奪、有的宗教被帝國(guó)主義控制和利用的歷史事實(shí)，是我國(guó)信教群眾的自主選擇，是我國(guó)各宗教處理對(duì)外關(guān)系的一條重要原則。堅(jiān)持獨(dú)立自主自辦原則，要把境外利用宗教進(jìn)行滲透和宗教界的正常對(duì)外交往區(qū)別開來，鼓勵(lì)和支持我國(guó)宗教界在獨(dú)立自主、平等友好、互相尊重的基礎(chǔ)上開展對(duì)外交往。