By: Miguel Martin
‘Sinified’ faith has a utilization to play inwards Xi’s altitude of the United Front (UF) into a unusual policy tool. Informed past times Qing violet policy, CCP voices highlight the potential of state-managed Buddhism to advance PRC policy inwards Mongolia, where it has learn a salient element of UF activity. Attention has been paid to the ongoing Jebtsundamba Khutugtu succession process, a sensitive issue, every bit it is perceived every bit a challenge the CCP’s neo-imperial reincarnation management system, which volition undergo a major examine when it comes to the selection of the side past times side Dalai Lama reincarnation.
Meanwhile, state-led interactions amongst Mongolian monasteries, some unreported fifty-fifty inwards Mongolia, bring out attempts to cultivate senior lamas in addition to exploit internal divisions to counter Dharamsala’s influence in addition to earn global Buddhist ‘discourse power’. Although the potential of faith every bit an influence tool inwards Mongolia is limited, the tactics used illustrate the Xiist expansion of UF run beyond its traditional domestic-diasporic domain.
Sinified Buddhism Goes Global
CCP religious policy involves both repression in addition to co-option. Co-opting faith in addition to other non-Party forces, both within in addition to exterior China, is the chore of the United Front Work Department (UFWD). Although UF tactics are a Leninist creation, prescribed to the CCP inwards the 1920s past times Soviet advisors, the scheme the UFWD uses to deal faith is a post-Comintern conception whose closest parallel is inwards North Korea. To live every bit “patriotic” tools of the Party, imported religions such every bit Christianity in addition to Buddhism must undergo “Sinification” (中国化), a need stressed nether Xi (CPC News, Apr 2016; People’s Daily, Oct 2016). The saying “love the country, honey religion” (爱国爱教) summarizes what the Party expects of religious believers.
Since taking office, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping has dramatically expanded the reach in addition to importance of the UFWD’s utilization (China Brief, Apr 2018). Two characteristics of this unprecedented expansion of the UF scheme comport upon international religious policy. The outset was the absorption of the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA, 国家宗教事务局), a authorities trunk whose duties included the execution of PRC religious policy, into the UFWD. The China Buddhist Association (CBA, 中国佛教协会), previously overseen past times SARA, is thence at nowadays officially placed nether the CCP. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minute feature is the global expansion of the reach of UF work, evidenced past times the recent utilization of UF entities to influence mainstream societies abroad. Previously, co-option of unusual religious organizations tended to focus on Overseas Chinese churches (To, 2009, p. 151) in addition to Tibetans abroad (Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 2012). However, efforts to make a to a greater extent than fundamental utilization for the PRC inwards international Buddhist organizations, which in i trial focused on Taiwan, cause got at nowadays taken a to a greater extent than global turn, at times placing the CCP inwards contest amongst Republic of Republic of India (Carnegie India, March 2017).
A visible figure inwards this global Buddhist force is Yinshun (印顺), a vice president of the CBA in addition to president of its Hainan chapter. Yinshun is the abbot of 3 temples: 2 inwards southern China, in addition to i inwards Lumbinī, Buddha’s birthplace inwards Nepal (Fenghuang Fojiao, Oct 2017; Caijing, Dec 2017) [1]. Yinshun also heads the Nanhai Academy of Buddhism. The academy, which opened inwards the southern PRC urban inwardness of Sanya inwards 2017 to provide preparation inwards Chinese, Tibetan in addition to Theravāda Buddhism, similar a shot eclipsed a long-planned (and long-delayed) Indian competitor institution, Nālandā University. The UF significance of the Nanhai university is illustrated past times a see to the facilities, presently before their inauguration, past times the caput of the Hainan UFWD (UFWD, September 2017).
According to Yinshun, the destination of this endeavor is to offering the globe a “Sinified Buddhist system” (Xinhua, September 2017). Although primarily religious inwards nature, this scheme is non insulated from political concerns. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 roundtable Yinshun organized reached what he described every bit a “consensus” that “the South China Sea is Chinese” in addition to “China has already learn the view of the world’s Buddhism,” hopefully opening “a leading utilization inwards the world’s religious development” (Caijing, Dec 2017). On social media, he praised Xi’s study to the 19th Party congress—which he claimed to cause got copied out past times hand—as “contemporary Buddhist scripture” (China Digital Times, Dec 2017).
PRC Policy towards Mongolian Buddhism Globally
A branch of Tibetan Buddhism is the main faith inwards Mongolia. Although explicit UFWD statements on global policy toward Mongolian Buddhism are scarce, a set of goals tin dismiss live distilled from available sources. Last year, the Party Secretary at the Tibetan Academy of Buddhism inwards Beijing advocated helping “countries in addition to territories along the ‘Belt in addition to Road’” satisfy their need for religious specialists in addition to scripture,” showcasing “the results of our Party in addition to country’s ethnic in addition to religious policies” (UFWD, June 2017).
An before set of policy recommendations called on China to accept the Pb inwards coordinating the establishment of a unified scheme for the search, recognition in addition to in conclusion announcement’ of incarnate lamas inwards the 3 countries. The article deals amongst the reincarnation of the Jebtsundamba Khutugtu, Mongolia’s nigh senior lama, a potential root of friction amongst the PRC [2]. These recommendations were published pseudonymously past times a Hong Kong intend tank established past times the PRC unloosen energy companionship CEFC (HKEJ, Nov 2011) [3]. Former SARA caput Ye Xiaowen (叶小文), a senior figure inwards religious policy involved inwards the Panchen Lama reincarnation process, was associated amongst the intend tank at the time. Both of these sources yell restricting the influence of the Dalai Lama every bit an explicit goal.
Recent interactions betwixt Mongolian monasteries in addition to PRC-based organizations are consistent amongst these goals, inwards some cases straight implementing them.
‘One World, One Buddha, One China’
The UF scheme appears to live exploiting divisions amid Mongolian clergy. Some of Mongolia’s nigh of import Buddhist monasteries cause got had contacts amongst the UFWD, SARA in addition to CBA. These include the Amarbayasgalant, the country’s main identify of Dorje Shugden worship, in addition to the Ikh Khüree monastery inwards Ulaanbaatar, whose abbot Sanjdorj is noted for a bitter rivalry amongst the capital’s main monastery [4]. Sanjdorj has criticized the Dalai Lama’s visits to Mongolia. In 2016, he regretted the Dalai Lama had been invited “without the approval“ of Mongolia’s “neighbors” (time.mn, Nov 2016). His views on the see were quoted approvingly past times PRC province media (Huanqiu, Nov 2016). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 media outlet around Sanjdorj has provided positive coverage of contacts amongst Chinese Buddhism in addition to the 19th Party Congress (control.mn; March 2017, August 2016, October 2017); its editor-in-chief attended the CCP Propaganda Department’s Chinese Tibet Development Forum 2016 (chinanews, July 2016). Sanjdorj was also acquaint when a foundation established past times the Bank of China donated nine i one one thousand thousand tugriks ($4,866 at that time) for some other monastery (中蒙文化教育暨社会发展基金, January 2015).
Sain Nomuun monastery inwards Nalaikh, i of Ulaanbaatar’s poorest districts, provides some other first-class instance of the UF inwards action. Implementing the vision set out past times its Party secretary, the Tibetan Academy of Buddhism (藏语系高级佛学院) inwards Beijing received its outset contingent of unusual trainee monks inwards November. The monks came from the Sain Nomuun monastery. Led past times Nergüi, their abbot, they were received past times officials from the SARA, the CBA, in addition to the PRC-sanctioned Panchen Lama (UFWD, 藏语系高级佛学院, Nov 2017) [5].
Nergüi in addition to Yinshun cause got exchanged visits. In June 2017, Yinshun visited the Sain Nomuun monastery, and, according to a tidings detail posted to the UFWD website, Nergüi requested he ship teachers to the Sain Nomuun (UFWD, June 2017). Members of Nergüi’s family, who run a companionship that helped make the monastery, were acquaint at some of these meetings inwards China in addition to Mongolia. The identify unit of measurement belongs to the local trouble organisation in addition to political elite, including a old government minister in addition to the electrical current chairman of the Ulaanbaatar urban inwardness council.
Yinshun has also appointed Nergüi a invitee professor at the Nanhai Academy (南海佛学院, June 2017) In November, Nergüi was at Yinshun’s South China Sea Buddhism Roundtable inwards Shenzhen, attended past times then-SARA manager Wang Zuo’an (SARA, Nov 2017). Wang is at nowadays a vice-director of the UFWD.
The roundtable’s statement brims amongst Xi-speak: “New Era”, “Maritime Silk Road”, “Community of Shared Destiny”. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Hainan CBA social-media trouble organisation human relationship carried a Chinese version of Nergüi’s speech communication (Weixin, 2017). It praises Xi’s geopolitical initiatives in addition to derives the PRC’s territorial ambitions from theological principles: “We don’t cause got many Buddhas, but simply i Buddha, i globe … All lamas in addition to Buddhist countries back upward the One-China Policy. We exclusively cause got i Buddha, nosotros back upward the One-China Policy.”[6]
Conclusion
Interactions past times PRC entities amongst Mongolian Buddhism tend to occur through vehicles amongst clear UF links, including SARA in addition to UFWD officials, component of an application of UF policies to global Buddhism that has yielded early on successes. Entities linked to the PRC party-state cause got cultivated local religious figures within Mongolia in addition to exploited divisions within the local Buddhist community, investing the PRC’s ‘religious capital’ to provide artifacts in addition to educate monks. The Sain Nomuun monastery’s endorsement of the PRC’s territorial ambitions in addition to global Buddhist foray cause got also helped make a channel to Mongolia’s political in addition to trouble organisation elite.
These successes should non live overstated. The UF tends to operate inwards a low-profile fashion, which tin dismiss bound the propaganda value of its successes, both inwards Mongolia in addition to elsewhere. Prevalent anti-Chinese sentiment within Mongolia also naturally limits the soft-power potential of these contacts; PRC links cause got the potential to wound a lama to a greater extent than than they assist his PRC partners.
Despite this, the Mongolian instance shows a UF scheme bent on exploiting the religious uppercase acquired through the appropriation of Tibetan Buddhism. While the limitations of its Mongolian instantiation are defined past times local conditions, the expansion of the domain of UF run to include religious groups abroad is of global significance. Speculatively, Xi’s potentially lifelong dominion could give UF cadres plenty fourth dimension to enterprise beyond the neo-Qing model in addition to apply similar tactics to religions other than Buddhism.
Miguel Martin, who ofttimes writes nether the penname Jichang Lulu, is an independent researcher amongst an involvement inwards China’s activities inwards the Arctic in addition to the United Front. Martin’s blog ofttimes is the outset to interruption tidings on these subjects inwards English. Follow him on Twitter at @jichanglulu.
Notes
[1] Two Chinese projects cause got been proposed to develop Lumbinī every bit a tourist in addition to religious complex, outset past times an NGO led past times human of affairs Xiao Wunan 肖武男, so past times the CBA itself (WSJ, Aug 2013; rediff, May 2016).)
[2] The legitimacy of the 9th reincarnation, who died inwards 2012 inwards Ulaanbaatar, is a fragile topic inwards the PRC. As prescribed past times the Comintern, Mongolia had forbidden farther reincarnations after the 8th died inwards 1924, but a 9th was secretly recognized past times the Dalai Lama. China discreetly protested his outset see to Mongolia inwards 1999 (refworld, 2003). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 10th reincarnation has been identified, although, every bit the Dalai Lama stated during a 2016 see to Ulaanbaatar, the reincarnation is likewise immature to live enthroned. Although Beijing vehemently condemned the visit, in addition to retaliated against Mongolia economically in addition to diplomatically, it refrained from world give-and-take of the reincarnation issue, exclusively “hoping” Mongolia would handgrip the matter “autonomously,” a coded reference to its wishing that the reincarnation’s enthronement in addition to preparation accept identify without Dharamsala’s involvement (PRC diplomatic mission to Mongolia, January 2017).
[3] CEFC, which has lately run into fiscal difficulties, has known links to the PLA in addition to has been involved inwards global influence activities (South China Sea Conversations, Jun 2013; Project 2049, Oct 2013; Sinopsis, Jun 2018).
[4] The Dalai Lama’s disapproval of the worship of the deity Dorje Shugden has led to a dispute amongst its followers, often aligning them amongst PRC policies (Info-buddhism, 1998, 2014). The PRC authorities has allegedly provided “clandestine support” to Shugden followers protesting the Dalai Lama (Reuters, Dec 2015; ICT, Apr 2015). PRC province media (CPC News, Apr 2010; Xizang ribao, Oct 2011; tibet.cn, January 2018; Guangming ribao, Jun 2012) in addition to officials (CPC News, Jun 2013) cause got strongly criticised the Dalai Lama’s handling of Shugden followers in addition to covered Shugden protests against him inwards a positive lite (tibet.cn, Aug 2015). Shugden worship is promoted within Tibet. Some Shugden followers cause got supported PRC authorities policies (Tsem Rinpoche, Oct 2017). Amarbayasgalant representatives attended a Shugden conference inwards Nepal inwards 2018, inwards which a monastery within Tibet also reportedly participated (Kathmandu Tribune, January 2018; Tsem Rinpoche, February 2018).
[5] In 1995, the PRC authorities took into custody the man child recognized every bit 11th Panchen Lama past times the Dalai Lama in addition to enthroned a reincarnation of its ain choice. Nothing is known of the boy’s subsequently.
[6] The PRC demands other countries uphold a “One-China Policy,” which it understands every bit acquiescing to its claim to sovereignty over Taiwan.
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