Stop the Spread of Christianity in the Universities: Directive of Central Committee of China's Communist Party

(Beijing), the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has issued a secret directive to the authorities to take action against the growing spread of Christianity in the universities. This was announced by the human rights group China Aid, which also published the leaked document.

The Central Committee referred in its directive to in the evangelization of the universities as "deliberate infiltration" by the United States with the intent to weaken the growth of the People's Republic of China. The Central Committee has recommended to the authorities to dismiss or exclude, among other professors and students "involved illegal Christian activities".

The document confirms what was assumed in Christian circles for some time that the main thrust against Christianity comes directly from the most senior level of the regime. It shows that the Communist regime in spite of the change at the top in the near future is not willing to relax its relationship to Christianity.

The Central Committee statement is dated the 15th May 2011 and is marked "Document 18". It was written in collaboration between different ministries, including those for education, public safety, national security and foreign affairs. Also collaborating are the Department of Religious Affairs and the Labour Front.

The document, of which there are only 8330 copies, has been distributed by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council of Higher party, state and government agencies and the Army and the People's Republic of China was never published.

It reads in part: "With the rapid economic and social development of China and the solid growth of overall national strength [...] hostile foreign forces have intensified the exploitation of religion to infiltrate China and advance their political conspiracy, westernizing and dividing China" It continues: "Foreign forces in the universities have the key objective to infiltrate through religion, particularly of Christianity." Vatican Insider/Giuseppe Nardi Bild: Wikicommons