State policies towards religion and the Russian Orthodox Church in China

ABSTRACT

This article examines the history and current state of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in China. It analyses both the declared and actual approach of the Chinese authorities towards Orthodox believers in China, as well as the attitude taken towards that approach by the authorities in Russia, where the ‘Orthodox factor’ plays an increasingly prominent role in domestic and foreign policy. The author shows that Russia’s most senior political leaders assist the ROC to strengthen the status of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church (CAOC) and create better conditions for Chinese Orthodox believers. That effort has elevated the ‘Orthodox question’ to become an important issue of bilateral relations. As a result, and despite a lack of enthusiasm from the Chinese side, conditions could be created in the coming years for the normal functioning of the CAOC. At the same time, the Chinese Government is likely to consider it not as an autonomous part of the ROC (as the Orthodox canon considers it) but as one of the ‘patriotic religious organisations’ registered first at the provincial, and possibly later at the national level.

KEYWORDS:

• Russia
• China
• Russian Orthodox Church
• Sino–Russian relations

Acknowledgements

The research for this article was supported by the grant of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs of the Higher School of Economics.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Here and below, the remarks by Zhang Lebin are quoted from the transcript of an interview conducted in Chinese during a meeting at SARA on 12 December 2012. In 2015 Zhang was investigated for ‘‘serious violations of discipline’’ and on 5 January 2016 he was expelled from the CPC (see ‘Member of the State Administration …’, 2016). This, however, does not invalidate the comments he made while holding a government position.

2. Currently they also include the Buddhist Association of China, Chinese Taoist Association, Islamic Association of China, Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

3. The official name is ‘Enhe Russian Ethnic Village’ [恩和俄罗斯族民族乡]

4. Information collected during the author’s research trip to Urumqi in July 2014.

5. Earlier in December 2014 a student from Hong Kong, Anatoly Kung Cheung Ming, was ordained as a priest in Khabarovsk but he was supposed to serve in Hong Kong and his ordination did not have to be approved by the Chinese authorities (‘For the first time in 60 years a Chinese priest is ordained for Hong Kong’s Orthodox church.’) (http://orthodox.cn/contemporary/hongkong/20141208hkpriesthood_en.htm).

Additional information

Funding

The research for this article was supported by the grant of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs of the Higher School of Economics.

Notes on contributors

Alexander Lukin

Alexander Lukin is Head of the Department of International Relations at National Research University Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Russian and Chinese politics and Russian–Chinese relations. He received a doctorate in politics from the University of Oxford, a doctorate in History from the Russian Diplomatic Academy and a diploma in Theology from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University in Moscow.