Top political advisor meets with Chinese Catholic leaders

BEIJING -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Tuesday met with the new leaderships of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops' Conference of Catholic Church in China.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, called on the Catholic community to fully implement the Party's basic policy on religion.

He also called on the Catholic community to rally Catholic leaders and believers around the Party and the government, to make contributions to achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Wang, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, extended warm congratulations on the success of the latest national congress of the Catholic Church in China.

He told the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops' Conference of Catholic Church in China to firmly uphold the leadership of the CPC and to help the religion better adapt itself to socialist society.

Wang urged them to unswervingly adhere to the principle of independence and self-governance, resist infiltration by foreign forces and resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests.

He also called for efforts to ensure that the leadership of the Catholic Church remains firmly in the hands of those who love their country and religion.