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China’s New United Front Work in Hong Kong pp 189–219Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

United Front Work on Six Religions

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Abstract

China’s united front work in Hong Kong has gained considerable success in influencing and co-opting the leaders of the Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, Islamic, Christian and the Catholic community. While the Buddhist leaders are the most vulnerable group under the united front co-optation, the Catholics remain the least vulnerable and the most resistant group vis-à-vis united front work. The Buddhist emphasis on social harmony and peace has much in common with the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party, thus making them an easy political ally. Similarly, the Taoist and Confucian values have laid much emphasis on social harmony and cultural values, leading to another relatively easy coalition with Beijing. The Muslims in Hong Kong have traditionally fallen under mainland China’s united front work. The Christian leaders have also been politically co-opted, but some Christians have in the recent years been critical of the way in which their leaders embrace Beijing’s united front work. The Catholics remain relatively the most politically defiant ones, mainly because of the beliefs and legacy of Cardinal Joseph Zen.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Tang Ka-jiao, The 20th Century Hong Kong Buddhism (in Chinese) (Hong Kong: Society of Hong Kong History, 2008), p. 1.

  2. 2.

    Ibid., p. 151.

  3. 3.

    Ibid., pp. 152–160.

  4. 4.

    Ibid., p. 204.

  5. 5.

    See “The Doubtful Representation of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association: Loving the Nation and Loving the Religion,” October 31, 2015, in https://thestandnews.com/, access date: January 15, 2019.

  6. 6.

    Also see Tang Ka-jiao, 20th Century Development of Hong Kong Buddhism (Hong Kong: The History and Culture Society of Hong Kong Buddhism, 2007), p. 130.

  7. 7.

    See “The Doubtful Representation of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association: Loving the Nation and Loving the Religion,” October 31, 2015, in https://thestandnews.com/, access date: January 15, 2019.

  8. 8.

    Tang Ka-jiao, A History of Hong Kong Buddhism (Hong Kong: Chung Hwa Bookstore, 2015), p. 279.

  9. 9.

    See Apple Daily, October 13, 2015. Also see Allen Au-yeung and Fanny W. Y. Fung, “Bad faith: director accuses chief nun of ‘sham marriage, embezzlement’ in Hong Kong monastery,” South China Morning Post, October 13, 2015.

  10. 10.

    See “Sik Kin-chiu dies and he was involved in scandals with life insurance and a nun,” https://www.hk01.com, July 6, 2018, access date: January 15, 2019.

  11. 11.

    See the report on his past and death in https://nextplus.nextmedia.com/article/2_603882_0, access date: January 15, 2019.

  12. 12.

    See a report on the financial chaos within the Po Lin Monastery and its “close relationship” with the united front officials in the mainland, in http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/17/11/24/n9887395.htm, access date: January 15, 2019.

  13. 13.

    Ibid.

  14. 14.

    “An Urgent Appeal from the Hong Kong Buddhist Association,” October 5, 2014, in http://www.hkbuddhist.org/zh/page.php?p=preview_detail&epid=26&cid=1, access date: January 15, 2019.

  15. 15.

    Ibid.

  16. 16.

    News Bulletin, “Hong Kong Religious Sector in Celebration of the 68th Anniversary of the PRC,” in http://www.hkbuddhist.org/zh/page.php?p=preview_detail&epid=39&cid=1, access date: January 15, 2019.

  17. 17.

    News Bulletin, “Hong Kong Religious Sector in Celebration of the 69th Anniversary of the PRC,” in http://www.hkbuddhist.org/zh/page.php?p=preview_detail&epid=39&cid=1, access date: January 15, 2019.

  18. 18.

    “Queues start earlier to see the Buddha’s Finger blessed,” South China Morning Post, May 27, 2004.

  19. 19.

    Ibid.

  20. 20.

    See the report in http://cppcc.people.com.cn/GB/34961/65233/65239/65802/4450761.html, July 27, 2004.

  21. 21.

    For details, see http://www.hktaoist.org.hk/index.php?id=112, access date: January 17, 2019.

  22. 22.

    See Zhongguo Zhongjiao (China Religion), June 1998, p. 18.

  23. 23.

    For details, see http://www.hktaoist.org.hk/index.php?id=112, access date: January 17, 2019.

  24. 24.

    See http://www.taoist.org.cn, February 2015, access date: January 21, 2019.

  25. 25.

    “Taoist Festivals in the Two Straits and Four Places,” in http://zytzb.gov.cn/zjswxw/70116.jhtml, access date: February 3, 2019.

  26. 26.

    “Lei Chunmei meets Hong Kong’s religious leaders,” in www.hktaoist.org.hk/index.php?id=317, access date: February 3, 2019.

  27. 27.

    Ibid.

  28. 28.

    See the report of the visit of the Shenzhen united front department to Hong Kong, in http://www.tzb.sz.gov.cn/xwzx/gzdt/tzsx/mzgz/zjgz/201710/t20171011_9336722.htm, access date: February 3, 2019.

  29. 29.

    Wen Wei Po, September 28, 2018.

  30. 30.

    See the HKTFA Newsletter, in http://www.hktaoist.org.hk/usr/files/newsletter/2018/2018_11.pdf, November 11, 2018.

  31. 31.

    Ibid.

  32. 32.

    Zhongguo Zhongjiao, June 2017, p. 26.

  33. 33.

    Zhongguo Zhongjiao, April 2015, p. 34.

  34. 34.

    For details, see https://www.ourhkfoundation.org.hk/zh-hant/node/1026, access date: January 19, 2019. Also see Ta Kung Pao, September 2, 2013.

  35. 35.

    Oriental Daily News, March 1, 2018.

  36. 36.

    Tong’s remarks are cited in Woo Chun-loong, “A traitor of Confucius and Mencius,” in https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1006169, February 14, 2010, access date: January 21, 2019.

  37. 37.

    Ibid.

  38. 38.

    Lau Kwei-biu, “Confucius Temple or Confucius Institute? A Tool of Maintaining Political Stability?,” in https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1018023, access date: January 21, 2019.

  39. 39.

    For his remarks, see “Minister Ip visits the Confucian Academy,” in http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4b32f63a01000741.html, access date: January 21, 2019.

  40. 40.

    See https://baike.baidu.com, access date: January 21, 2019.

  41. 41.

    See CIHK background in https://cihk.org.hk/about-us/about-cihk/, access date: January 21, 2019.

  42. 42.

    See https://cihk.org.hk/past_event/, access date: January 21, 2019.

  43. 43.

    Apple Daily, August 26, 2018.

  44. 44.

    Sharon Bernstein, “Second U.S. University cuts ties with the Confucius Institute,” October 2, 2014, in https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-confucius-institute-pennsyl/second-u-s-university-cuts-ties-with-chinas-confucius-institute-idUSKCN0HQ4UZ20141001, access date: February 2, 2019. Also see “Confucius Institute closed at US university amid concerns about Chinese influences on campuses,” August 15, 2018, in https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2159888/confucius-institute-closed-us-university-amid, access date: February 2, 2019.

  45. 45.

    “McMaster University severs ties with Confucius Institute,” March 2013, in https://bulletin-archives.caut.ca/bulletin/articles/2013/03/mcmaster-university-severs-ties-with-confucius-institute, access date: February 2, 2019.

  46. 46.

    Austin Ramzy, “Toronto School District Cancels Plans for Confucius Institute,” October 30, 2014, in https://sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/30/toronto-school-district-cancels-plans-for-confucius-institute/, access date: February 2, 2019.

  47. 47.

    Apple Daily, August 26, 2018.

  48. 48.

    See Lau Chi-wai, “Muslims in Hong Kong,” in https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-39124578, access date: January 22, 2019.

  49. 49.

    Ibid. Also see “History of Muslims in Hong Kong,” in http://www.islam.org.hk/en/?p=13&a=view&r=27, access date: January 22, 2019.

  50. 50.

    Ibid.

  51. 51.

    See http://www.cmcfa.com/e/action/ListInfo/?classid=1, access date: January 22, 2019.

  52. 52.

    See http://www.islam.org.hk/en/?p=13&a=view&r=27, access date: January 22, 2019.

  53. 53.

    See the Liaison Office’s announcement, in http://www.locpg.gov.cn/ldjl/zj/200701/t20070122_1153.asp, access date: January 22, 2019.

  54. 54.

    Wen Wei Po, November 8, 2017.

  55. 55.

    See https://baike.baidu.com/, access date: January 22, 2019.

  56. 56.

    See http://www.cmcfa.com/e/action/ListInfo/?classid=1, access date: January 22, 2019.

  57. 57.

    This was also the observation from journalist Lau Chi-wai in his “Islam in Hong Kong: Different Challenges in China and Hong Kong,” March 1, 2017, in https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-39124578, access date: January 22, 2019.

  58. 58.

    For the mainland practices, see Sing Tao Daily, July 4, 2018.

  59. 59.

    See http://www.zjislam.org/show.aspx?id=1410&cid=24, January 5, 2019, access date: January 22, 2019.

  60. 60.

    Ying Fuk-tsang, “Today we have to revisit a history of ‘united front’ work on Christians,” January 28, 2019, in http://faith100.org/, access date: February 3, 2019. Ying is the director and professor at the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. For an interesting contrast with the remarks made by Leung Yin-shing, an overseas Canadian Chinese Christian scholar who has been criticized as increasingly pro-Beijing, see “Pro-Beijing scholar Leung Yin-shing’s remarks on the PRC protection of religious faith,” in https://apostlesmedia.com/20180626/8195, access date: February 3, 2019. Also see “Comment on Leung’s visit to China,” in https://www.chinaaid.net/2018/06/blog-post_27.html, access date: February 9, 2019. Leung had taught at Hong Kong Baptist College and emigrated to Canada in 1990. He is seen by some Christian observers as being politically co-opted by the PRC.

  61. 61.

    Ibid.

  62. 62.

    Ying Fuk-tsang, “Using Facts to Convince Me: The Six Explanations in Defence of the Chinese Communist’s Religious Policy,” July 9, 2018, in http://faith100.org/, access date: February 3, 2019.

  63. 63.

    “Li Chuwen and the united front work on the Hong Kong religions,” in http://medium.com/civic-faither/c-e6aa60fe81bs, access date: February 3, 2019.

  64. 64.

    “Interview with Kwok Nai-wang who appeal to the Hong Kong religious leaders and activists not to bow to those who are rich and powerful,” October 10, 2018, in https://thestandnews.com/politics/, access date: February 3, 2019.

  65. 65.

    Ibid.

  66. 66.

    Ibid.

  67. 67.

    Ibid.

  68. 68.

    Ibid.

  69. 69.

    Ibid.

  70. 70.

    Choi Siu-kei, “How do Christians cope with the religious policy under Xi Jinping’s era,” June 6, 2015, in http://christiantimes.org.hk/, access date: February 3, 2019.

  71. 71.

    “Henan officials ordered the deletion of command one from the ten commandants,” January 3, 2019, in https://www.christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=156717&Pid=102&Version=0&Cid=2141&Charset=big5_hkscs, access date: February 3, 2019. Also see Jiang Tao, “Authorities remove church crosses on flimsy pretexts,” April 9, 2018, in https://bitterwinter.org/authorities-remove-church-crosses-on-flimsy-pretexts/, access date: February 3, 2019.

  72. 72.

    See “Brainwashing the national situation,” June 3, 2018, in http://apostlesmedia.com/20180603/7833, access date: February 3, 2019.

  73. 73.

    Ibid.

  74. 74.

    See “Assist Sichuan after the 2008 Earthquake,” no date indicated, in http://www.hkcccu.org.hk/news/Szechwan/index.htm, access date: February 3, 2019.

  75. 75.

    “China’s religious situation,” in http://www.locpg.gov.cn/zggq/2014-01/04/c_125956454.htm, access date: February 4, 2019.

  76. 76.

    Benedict Rogers, “China’s war on Christianity,” September 20, 2018, in https://catholicherald.co.uk/issues/sep-21st-2018/chinas-war-on-christianity/, access date: February 4, 2019.

  77. 77.

    Cindy Wooden, “Vatican signs provisional agreement with China on naming bishops,” September 22, 2018, in https://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2018/vatican-signs-provisional-agreement-with-china-on-naming-bishops.cfm, access date: February 4, 2019. In early 2018, two underground Catholic bishops were reportedly persuaded by a Vatican delegation to China to surrender their positions to two bishops nominated by the Chinese government.

  78. 78.

    “Cardinal Parolin Comments on Holy See-People’s Republic of China Agreement,” September 22, 2018, in https://zenit.org/articles/cardinal-parolin-comments-on-holy-see-republic-of-china-agreement/, access date: February 4, 2019.

  79. 79.

    Rod Dreher, “Rome Betrays Underground China Church,” September 22. 2018, in https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/vatican-betrays-underground-china-church/, access date: February 4, 2019.

  80. 80.

    Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, “The Pope Doesn’t Understand China,” October 24, 2018, in https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/24/opinion/pope-china-vatican-church-catholics-bishops.html, access date: February 4, 2019.

  81. 81.

    Ibid.

  82. 82.

    “Reprimanding the PRC United Front Department, Joseph Zen appealed to the mainland Catholics not to abandon and betray the God,” https://hkaboluowang.com/2009/0105/115369.html, access date: February 4, 2019.

  83. 83.

    Ibid.

  84. 84.

    Shirley Zhao and Ng Kang-chung, “Shock as Vatican brings Cardinal John Tong out of retirement to be acting head of the local diocese after death of bishop – blocking Occupy supporter Joseph Ha Chi-shing,” South China Morning Post, January 7, 2019, in https://cdn4.i-scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2181079/shock-vatican-brings-cardinal-john-tong-out-retirement-serve, access date: February 4, 2019.

  85. 85.

    “Michael Yeung died and Joseph Ha is an temporary administrator dealing with religious affairs,” January 4, 2019, in https://topock.kket.com/article/2243350, access date: February 4, 2019.

  86. 86.

    “A Fading Vatican-China Agreement in the Midst of United Front,” May 20, 2018, in http://kkp.org.hk/node/16793, access date: February 4, 2019.

  87. 87.

    See its objectives in the JPC website http://www.hkjp.org/about_en.php?id=2, access date: February 4, 2019.

  88. 88.

    See “Submission by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese to the United Nations Human Rights Council for its Universal Periodic Review Regarding Religious Freedom in the People’s Republic of China,” July 18, 2013, in http://www.hkjp.org/focus_en.php?id=55, access date: February 4, 2019.

  89. 89.

    “Hong Kong: The Facts [on] Religion and Custom,” May 2016, in https://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/religion.pdf, access date: February, 2019.

  90. 90.

    Ibid.

  91. 91.

    Chow King-fun, “The Origins, Reflections, Unity and Friendship of Hong Kong’s Six Religious Groups,” in Religious Reflections (in Chinese), no. 27 (November 1995), pp. 73–81, in http://archive.hsscol.org.hk/Archive/periodical/spirit/S027k.htm, access date: February 2, 2019.

  92. 92.

    Koo Sun-wing, “Who says Hong Kong has only six major religions?,” October 17, 2016, in https://www.inmediahk.net/node/1045215, access date: February 2, 2019.

  93. 93.

    “The 40th anniversary of the six religions’ conference gathering,” in http://www.hkcc.org.hk/acms/content.asp?site=hkccnew&op=showbyid&id=58427, access date: February 2, 2019.

  94. 94.

    Liu’s remarks are cited in “Buddhist Festival saw the participation of Liu Yandong in meeting the six Hong Kong religious leaders,” CPPCC news bulletin, July 27, 2004, in http://cppcc.people.com.cn/GB/34961/65233/65239/65802/4450761.html, access date: February 2, 2019.

  95. 95.

    Ibid.

  96. 96.

    “Six religious leaders issue a joint message in the Chinese New Year,” January 27, 2017, in https://www.thestandnews.com/society/, access date: February 2, 2019.

  97. 97.

    Sing Pao, December 16, 2018.

  98. 98.

    “Six religious leaders issue a joint appeal in the new year, hoping the nation would be rich and Hong Kong having social harmony,” February 15, 2018, in https://thestandnews.com/society/, access date: February 2, 2019.

  99. 99.

    Ibid.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hong Kong, SPACE, North Point, Hong Kong

    Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo

  2. Education University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong

    Steven Chung-Fun Hung

  3. Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

    Jeff Hai-Chi Loo

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Correspondence to Sonny Shiu-Hing Lo .

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Lo, S.SH., Hung, S.CF., Loo, J.HC. (2019). United Front Work on Six Religions. In: China’s New United Front Work in Hong Kong. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8483-7_6

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