Bater, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, led a team to Anqing and Chizhou, East China's Anhui province, to survey capacity building for grassroots religious personnel from Oct 21 to 25.

The team visited the local Buddhist association and college, a mosque and churches and had discussions with relevant officials and community members. They gained insights on Anhui's experience in managing religious affairs in accordance with the law and supporting capacity building among grassroots religious staff.

The team emphasized the importance of fully implementing the Communist Party of China's basic policy on religious affairs, and upholding the principle that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation.

They called for further guidance for religious communities to support religious institutions and improve training and management of religious personnel, striving to build a team of grassroots religious staff that is appropriately sized, qualified and well-structured. In addition, efforts should be made to cultivate high-level talent well-versed in both classical religious texts and traditional Chinese culture, they noted.

The team also visited the Nanshui Hui community and Maoling ethnic village in Anqing, emphasizing the role of the CPPCC as a specialized consultative body in fostering the sense of community for the Chinese nation and guiding people of all ethnic groups to build the sense of a community with a shared destiny.