Hebei, Chinese police ban children from Christmas in Baoding

In a province where historically there is a strong presence of Catholics, authorities deployed massive "security" measures on Christmas night to discourage participation by the faithful. Objects with Christmas references banned in university dormitories. The Party's "official" wish to Christians for Dec. 25: "Continue to adhere to Xi Jinping's path and sinization."

Beijing (AsiaNews) - Christmas vigil prohibited for children. Traffic blocks and shop closures. Ban on display of objects that recall Christmas in university dormitories. These are some of the measures deployed by the local authorities of Baoding, a northern city in the Chinese province of Hebei not far from the capital Beijing.

As a diocese with a long history, a large number of Catholics live in the Baoding area. For this reason, on Christmas Eve this year the police adopted exceptional security measures in the city centre. The authorities announced traffic control in the historic center of Yuhua Road, where the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, seat of the diocese of Baoding, is located.

No vehicles were allowed to enter the historic center after 4pm and buses passing through this area were ordered to reroute. Furthermore, all shops in the area around the church were ordered to close and Christmas sales and promotions were not permitted.

A source living in Baoding confirmed the information and told AsiaNews that police officers were everywhere around the church. Police vehicles were parked near the church and there were also officers in riot gear. All the shops around the church were closed.

The source said that the police prevented parents with children from entering the church. Police told parents to leave the church because it was "unsafe for children as there were too many people inside." The police were everywhere inside the church, with a heavy atmosphere, in open contrast to the spirit of the celebration.

The atmosphere was also tense in Donglü, whose church is a pilgrimage destination. According to our source, the police have been stationed in the village for a week before Christmas. Donglü is 20 kilometers from Baoding, and is famous for its Madonna of China.

In 1900, Catholics sought refuge in this village during the Boxer Rebellion, the wave of violence against foreigners and Christianity supported by the Qing dynasty. But in Donglü the Boxer group that tried to attack the church was defeated.

Students at local schools and universities also received a notice requiring them to stay on campus on Christmas Eve to avoid celebrations, while any items with Christmas elements were not allowed in the dormitories.

The situation in Baoding is a reflection of the tightening of controls on religion imposed across the People's Republic of China in recent years. Notices are circulating from the government, schools and companies on how to "boycott foreign holidays" and "ban the commercial promotion of Christmas".

Meanwhile, some social media accounts with official backgrounds are commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of Changjin Lake in North Korea, in which the Chinese army forced UN troops to retreat south in 1950, saying it was l the army, not Santa Claus, to give peace to the Chinese people.

For their part, the Chinese authorities sent Christmas greetings to the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics and the Chinese Christian Council, the "official" bodies of Catholics and Protestants.

In the letter released by the National Administration for Religious Affairs, both associations are praised for following the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought and the spirit of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China. The Christmas wish of the Beijing government is therefore to continue to adhere to Xi's path and to sinicization, as well as to "strictly manage religious affairs".

The official Protestant association has just elected its new leaders at the 11th Conference held last week. Wang Huning, Xi Jinping's political advisor and head of ideology, urged delegates to "adhere to the direction of Sinicization," the core values of socialism and traditional Chinese culture.

Wang asked leaders of Christian associations to "gain a deep understanding of the Party's theories and policies on religion." "You are called to strictly manage religious affairs," Wang reiterated, reiterating the line indicated by Xi.