Freedom of Religious Beliefs as Seen in a Chinese Province

In recent years, the Chinese Government has been time and again accused, by those in the West whoare either hostile towards the country or ignorant of its realities, of acting in violation of the right of its citizens toreligious beliefs. There is the allegation that "official respect for religious freedom in China has diminished."To find out the truth, the China Society for Human Right Studies (CSHRS) organized a study tour of Hebei Province,north China, the very first of its kind since the society came into being ten years ago. The group, headed by Zhou Jue,president of the CSHRS, comprised some of the most prominent experts on human rights and on international laws.The study tour, from September 21 to 27, 2003, covered all the religions practiced in China—Buddhism, Taoism,Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism, with Catholicism as the focus.