China continued its corrosive sinicization policy, forcing the Chinese Community Party’s (CCP)ideological agenda into every facet of religious life for Buddhists, Catholic and Protestant Christians, Muslims, Taoists, and others.
In 2024, religious freedom conditions in China remained among the worst in the world. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping continued to lead efforts to update and enforce China’s “sinicization of religion” policy, which requires the complete loyalty and subordination of recognized religious groups to the CCP, its political ideology, and its policy agenda. February amendments to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Religious Affairs Regulations reinforced sinicization policy and continued to impose stringent restrictions. In March, Ma Xingrui, CCP secretary of Xinjiang, insisted on sinicizing Islam in that province, calling it an “inevitable trend.”
China continued to use high-tech surveillance outside places of worship and other means to repress religious freedom throughout the country. It also weaponized transnational repression and disinformation by using emerging technologies to quash voices critical of the country’s religious freedom and related human rights violations. Chinese authorities threatened Uyghur and Tibetan diaspora communities with surveillance, blackmail, and threats against their families living in China to force them into silence. Authorities further promoted tourism to Xinjiang to whitewash its genocidal violations there and dismiss international criticism.
In August, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) acknowledged the lack of progress on human rights for religious minorities in Xinjiang, citing existing problematic laws and policies, limited access to information, and fear of reprisals against individuals cooperating with the United Nations (UN). Authorities continued to imprison Uyghur Muslims for their religious activities, including for charitable contributions and religious instruction. In February, 96-year-old Imam Abidin Damollam died in prison while serving a nine-year sentence for allegedly “promoting religious extremism.”
Officials persisted in restricting religious activities of Tibetan Buddhists. Authorities reportedly banned admission of new monks at a monastery in Chamdo prefecture, prohibited religious activities during Saga Dawa in Lhasa, and forced residents to remove religious symbols displayed outside their homes in Sichuan Province. Authorities closed Tibetan monastery schools and enrolled students in state-run boarding schools to forcibly assimilate them, while police arrested and imprisoned Tibetan Buddhists for public and private mentions of the Dalai Lama. Authorities indicated that they intend to interfere in the Dalai Lama’s succession process and punish Tibetans who oppose.
Chinese authorities detained, forcibly disappeared, or refused to disclose the whereabouts of underground Catholic clergy who
declined to join the state-controlled Catholic organization. Independent house church Protestants faced similar retribution from law enforcement for refusing to join the state-controlled Protestant organization, as police raided house churches and harassed, detained, fined, and imprisoned members on reportedly fabricated charges, including “fraud” and “subversion.” In January, a court sentenced Protestant Pastor Kan Xiaoyong to 14 years in prison on groundless allegations.
The government continued to target Falun Gong practitioners, the Church of Almighty God (CAG), and other unrecognized religious
groups as illegal “cults.” Falun Gong and CAG sources documented thousands of adherents—including Falun Gong practitioner Xu Na
and CAG member Mo Xiufeng—who faced arrest, imprisonment, and mistreatment, including deaths resulting from abuse in custody.
Human rights activists continued to express concerns about Hong Kong’s new national security law, Article 23, and its impact
on religious freedom. Some imprisoned Hong Kong activists have alleged that prison authorities deny them access to religious materials.
