China widens religious scrutiny to Chengdu hospitals and schools

Public hospitals and schools in China's Chengdu are now requiring employees, students and their families to disclose their religious beliefs, according to a report by The Epoch Times. The outlet, citing leaked internal documents and anonymous sources, said a public hospital ordered all permanent, contract and temporary staff to declare their faith as part of a 'regular investigation of ideological, ethnic, and religious work'. Employees with no religion had to register as having 'no religious belief'. Communist Party members were told they cannot practise a religion, and religious employees must report the matter to their Party branch.

Education authorities are also collecting information on students' family religious backgrounds. An administrative employee at a university in Sichuan told the outlet that schools investigate students' family members and submit the data to higher authorities. An employee of Chengdu's education authorities separately said annual background checks are done before new students enrol, with religious affiliation among the details gathered. The Epoch Times reported that the information collected by schools is passed up the administrative chain, although one source said they did not know how it is ultimately used.

The measures align with the Chinese Communist Party's policy of 'Sinicisation of religion', under which religious groups must align with state priorities. President Xi Jinping has called for stronger Party leadership over religious affairs and for religious work to be incorporated into the Party's governance system, the report added.