State-Controlled Religion in China

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Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a hearing on state-controlled religion in China.

Religious groups in China must conform to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) political ideology and submit to the state’s intrusive system of control to legally engage in religious activities. State-controlled organizations manage the affairs of religious communities affiliated with the five government-recognized religions—Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism, and Taoism—and enforce a vast web of repressive laws, regulations, and policies that do not conform to international human rights standards. The state’s coercive “sinicization of religion” policy has become the core driving principle of the government’s management of religious affairs over the last decade and has resulted in gross violations of religious freedom, including genocide, crimes against humanity, mass incarceration, enforced disappearances, and the destruction of cultural and religious heritage. In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate China as a Country of Particular Concern for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.

Witnesses will discuss religious freedom conditions in China. They will also share recommendations for the U.S. government to support freedom of religion or belief in China.

Opening Remarks:

• Vicky Hartzler, USCIRF Chair
• Asif Mahmood, USCIRF Vice Chair
• Senator Ted Budd (R-NC)

Panel:  

• Annie Boyajian, President, Freedom House
• Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director, Campaign for Uyghurs; Chairwoman of the Executive Committee of the World Uyghur Congress
• Norgay Tenzin, Research Analyst, International Campaign for Tibet
• Corey Jackson, Founder and President, Luke Alliance 

This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. The video recording of the hearing will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions or to schedule an interview, please email [email protected]