Top political advisor stresses religious affairs management

NANCHANG -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang has called for strengthened Party leadership over religious work and efforts to maintain harmony and stability in religious affairs.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, made the remarks during an inspection and research tour to eastern China's Jiangxi province on Monday and Tuesday.

He paid visits to places of religious activities in the city of Fuzhou and Nanchang in the province and presided over a symposium on religious work.

It is important to schedule religious work into agendas of Party committees at all levels and to strengthen education for cadres, so that officials at all levels can recognize the importance of religious work, master basic policies and establish institutionalized working methods for religious affairs, he said.

Wang required strengthened primary-level Party organizations to improve the publicity of the Party's policy on religious affairs, guide the public to hold a rational perspective toward religion and promote self-conscious resistance to all kinds of illegal religious activities.

Wang also stressed the importance of improving the training of young religious figures and religious staff and ensure the platforms and channels for religious figures to play their roles.