The Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion & Diplomacy (TPNRD) has released a new report on China’s Religious Diplomacy for its Belt and Road Initiative. Authored by Dr. Juyan Zhang, professor of communication at the University of Texas San Antonio, the report reviews China’s diplomatic engagement with Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, and Taoists before and after 2015. The brief concludes by assessing the factors that impact the effectiveness of China’s religious diplomacy. Key takeaways from the report include:
• The People’s Republic of China started to tap religion as a statecraft and diplomatic resource in the early 2000s. Religious diplomacy became a concern for its Belt and Road Initiative after 2015.
• Religious diplomacy involving the five officially recognized religions is sanctioned, controlled, and coordinated by the state. In terms of involvement with the BRI, Buddhism is the most active, while Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism) is the least active. Islam and Taoism are in between.
• Factors such as competition with the United States, the sustainability of the BRI, and China’s doctrine of religious Sinicization, as well as its emphasis on “ideological national security” and its internet regulation, among others, will influence the effectiveness of China’s religious diplomacy.