Shi Taifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, has stressed the need for fostering ethnic unity and religious harmony to contribute to the country's modernization drive. Shi made the remarks during an inspection trip to Northeast China's Liaoning province on March 20 and 21. 

While visiting the cities of Chaoyang and Shenyang, Shi engaged with people from grassroots communities, rural areas, schools and ethnic minority households to assess efforts in fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation at the grassroots level. He also visited historical and cultural sites to review heritage preservation efforts and inspected religious venues and institutions to understand management of religious affairs and training of religious personnel.

Shi emphasized the importance of advancing initiatives for ethnic unity and progress by establishing a long-term promotion and education mechanism and called for efforts to guide people of all ethnic groups — especially young people — in forging a strong sense of the Chinese nation as one single community with a shared future.

He also stressed the need for region-specific industrial development to promote common prosperity for all ethnic groups. Efforts should be made to enhance urban ethnic affairs management, build an interwoven social structure and community environment to promote interaction and cohesion among different ethnic groups, and encourage all ethnic groups to continue to work together and consciously integrate into the big family of the Chinese nation, he noted. He also underscored the need to adhere to a correct view of the history of the Chinese nation, promote the exploration, protection and use of historical materials, historical facts and cultural relics, and strive to build a common spiritual home for the Chinese nation.

Shi highlighted the necessity of integrating law-based governance of religious affairs into the national governance system by strengthening networks, clarifying responsibilities and mitigating risks. He stressed the importance of guiding religious communities with core socialist values and fine Chinese culture, and modernizing interpretations of religious doctrines to further uphold the principle that religions in China must be Chinese in orientation. He also urged full and strict governance of religions, lawful management of religious venues, adherence to correct educational principles in religious institutions, and the cultivation of patriotic religious figures proficient in both classical religious teachings and traditional Chinese culture, to ensure the adaptation of religions to a socialist society.