Unleashing the masses

The heavy earthquake which just struck Nepal has aroused great concern among Chinese Buddhists. Monks at the China Temple in Lumbini, Nepal, which is sponsored by China and headed by a Chinese monk, are working assiduously to distribute materials, help with rescue and raise donations. The Buddhist Association of China is organizing prayer and relief efforts. In Shanghai, Buddhists have donated 4 million yuan ($640,000) for the disaster-hit areas.

This is one example of the growth of diplomacy conducted by non-government organizations, known in China as public diplomacy. Although all NGOs in China are answerable to the government, public diplomacy is seen as different from official diplomacy, and an important complement to it.

Other examples of the growing role of religion in China's public diplomacy include the Third International Taoist Forum held in Jiangxi Province last November, and the Fourth World Buddhist Forum scheduled to be held in Jiangsu Province in October. Both events are aimed at discussing the positive role of religious thought in solving world problems. A Chinese Islamic culture exhibition was held in Malaysia last July as the two countries celebrated their 40 years of diplomatic ties. A Chinese Christian group visited South Korea and held a seminar to discuss communication and cooperation in last June.

Domestic harmony

Religion is becoming a more potent force in domestic society as well as international affairs.

According to Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, there are more than 100 million people who believe in different religions in China. This is a massive shift from the time of the Cultural Revolution, which actively sought to stamp out all forms of religion and led to the destruction of temples, mosques and churches.

Since 1978, the Chinese Constitution has guaranteed freedom of religion, and the government recognizes and has institutionalized five faiths: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism. However, friction has arisen from people trying to practice their faith outside of this structure. For example, the Chinese Catholic Church has no ties to Rome, and the Dalai Lama is not recognized as a spiritual leader under Chinese Buddhism.

For the three decades after 1978, Chinese people benefited from extraordinary economic growth, with hundreds of millions of people lifted out of poverty. However, many critics say that as the country grew richer, it lost its moral compass, leaving some people feeling adrift. Many are turning to religion for spiritual comfort.

Since 2004, the Chinese government has used the slogan of "building a harmonious society" to describe creating a country that balances economic growth with social stability.

Since Xi came into office in 2012, he has been promoting a policy he calls the Chinese dream, which emphasizes promoting traditional Chinese culture for the purpose of national rejuvenation.

In the current environment, China has not produced many religious leaders or scholars that have significant sway in other parts of the world, nor are these leaders being cultivated. Yet these people are needed to enhance China's influence over the world.

In addition, the government is wary about anything that could pose a threat to national security. It is concerned that religion could be manipulated by hostile foreign forces, especially among separatists in Tibet and Xinjiang autonomous regions who trigger terrorism and seek independence.

From recent public actions, it is clear the government has seen the importance of religion to current China. The government also realizes problems could hinder its goal and thus need to be seriously addressed. That is why many expect that the change in official rhetoric will soon be reflected by a major revision in the current Regulation on Religious Affairs, which took effect 10 years ago.