The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) convenes its 33rd briefing session on issues of major concern on Feb 17. [Photo by Wang Da/cppcc.gov.cn]

The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) convened its 33rd briefing session on issues of major concern on Feb 17, focusing on the study of the spirit of a national conference on work related to religious affairs.

Bater and Su Hui, both vice-chairpersons of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the meeting.

Wang Zuoan, deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and head of the National Religious Affairs Administration, briefed on the national conference held on Dec 3 and 4 in Beijing, saying it provided fundamental guidance for the Party's religious work in the new era.

Noting a slew of new concepts and measures on religious work put forward since the 18th CPC National Congress, Wang said the Party has established robust leadership, improved religious affairs governance, and advanced efforts to develop religions in a Chinese context.

More efforts are needed to uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the Party in religious work, implement the Party's fundamental policy on religious affairs, give priorities to key tasks, and make new progress, Wang said.

It's important to develop religions in a Chinese context, prevent and resolve major risks in religious affairs, support the full and strict governance of religions by religious groups, and improve the management of religious work under the rule of law, according to Wang.

The meeting also included an in-depth exchange of views on many topics, such as expanding the progress of regulating the commercialization of Buddhist and Taoist activities, strengthening the management of religious affairs on the internet, and fully and accurately implementing the Party's policy on freedom of religious belief.