Anna Scott Bell

This paper explores recent developments in the regulation and repression of religion by the Chinese state under Xi Jinping. It argues that the “three rectifications and one demolition” campaign launched in Zhejiang province was not an isolated local effort, but rather is rooted in a particular ideological agenda being promoted by the Chinese Communist Party. Further, it asserts that this ideological agenda is foundational to the CCP’s drive to establish itself as a credible alternative to Western hegemonic power. This is demonstrated by a thorough examination of primary sources, including CCP media, speeches, and official documents, especially pertaining to the anti-Western ideology campaign, the demolition campaign in Zhejiang, and most significantly, Xi Jinping’s promotion of “Chinese traditional culture” in the domestic and international spheres. By illustrating a specific and coordinated program of suppressing foreign religion on the one hand, and promoting Chinese or “Sinicized” religion on the other, this paper places these efforts at the center of China’s revisionist power agenda.