Speech by Rev. Liu Bainian, Vice President of CCRPat the meeting of Commission of Reconciliation and Security (2013)

Dear friends,

With the rapid economic and social development, the Chinese society has gained considerable development on various levels. Chinese religion has also seen healthy and orderly development. Bringing together representative individuals of China's five major religions, CCRP as a nationwide organization plays its due role. At the forthcoming Executive Committee, we will communicate CCRP's work since last year. So I will not elaborate on it here.

I will mainly talk about some useful practice of Chinese religious circles in the maintenance of unity and stability in the religious field and promotion of China's social harmony, and thus of China's economic and social development. Currently, the "Chinese Dream" is a hot word in Chinese society. "Chinese Dream" refers to the Chinese people's desire for national prosperity, national rejuvenation, people's happiness, and social harmony. This is all Chinese people's dream including religious personages. To achieve this wonderful dream, Chinese religious circles try to play an active role.

First, with the strong support of all walks of life, religious groups and religious places actively participate in social welfare and charity, playing a useful role in helping the poor and needy, disaster relief, supporting the disabled and the aged, supporting education, and free medical care

After the tsunami in Southeast Asia, Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, Yushu earthquake in Qinghai Province, Zhouqu mudslides in Gansu and Ya'an earthquake this April and other natural disasters, the Chinese religious circles held blessing ceremonies, and issued written proposals of fundraising, being involved in various ways of disaster relief and reconstruction. According to incomplete statistics, in the past five years China's religious philanthropy donated about $ 500 million. In the Beijing Olympic Games, Shanghai World Expo and Guangzhou Asian Games and other major events in China, figures of the Chinese religious circles can be seen to provide good services for international religious believers. In 2012 we combined the strength of the five major religions to hold a religious charity week, and promoted the development of religious philanthropy.

Second, tapping and promoting resources of harmonious thought in religious doctrines and turned ideas of religious harmony into vivid practice, as active service in the construction of harmonious society in China

Combining characteristics of the times and their own features, various religions explore the positive factors in their scriptures and teachings, and guide the people to be patriotic and law-abiding and to help other people. For example, the Buddhist "Human Buddhism," Taoist "Life Taoism," Islamic exegetical work, democratic Catholic, Christian theological construction. We carry out activities to create harmonious temples and churches, and organized religious dialogues and exchanges between Islam and Christianity, Buddhism and Christianity and others. In 2011, nationwide groups of China's five major religions jointly issued the "Joint Declaration on the promotion of religious harmony", advocating religious harmony and promoting harmony believers and non-believers, and people of different religions.

Third, carrying forward the fine traditional Chinese culture to assist in the prosperity and coexistence of world civilizations

At present, China's five major religions are actively exploring the path of culture-type connotative development, to improve quality of religious culture and promote fine Chinese traditional cultures. For example, we conducted collation of religious cultural classics, and published Tripitaka, Collected Chinese Taoist Scriptures, Collected Laozi and other large ancient religious literatures. We organized Taoist altar relic exhibition and the Catholic culture and art exhibitions. We pay more attention to the protection of cultural relics of religious places, and to heritage protection of religious non-material cultural heritage.

Fourth, while adhering to the principles of independent self-management, equality, friendship, and mutual respect, we actively carry out friendly exchanges with religious circles in various countries in the world, and contribute to promoting international religious harmony and world peace

Chinese religious circles give full play to the mechanism of "Conference of Friendly Exchanges between Buddhists of China, South Korea and Japan". We conducted Buddha's tooth and finger bone relics to tour Thailand, South Korea and Myanmar for worship. We carried out series of "Taoism Touring World" activities, introducing to the world Taoism that originated in China. In recent years, China has hosted three World Buddhist Forums, two international Taoism forums, providing exchange platforms for believers all over the world . We organized delegations of priests and nuns to visit France, Belgium and other countries. In 2010 we held in Jakarta "Sino-Indonesian Islamic Cultural Show and Performance". We held in Washington in 2011, "Sino-American Christian Leaders' Forum". We held in Istanbul in 2012 "Sino-Turkey Islamic Cultural Show and Performance". At present, the Chinese religious circles have established friendly relations with religious organizations in more than 80 countries and regions, participated in several international religious organizations, and actively involved in negotiations and dialogues on international religious affairs. All these indicate Chinese religious circles cherish the concept of "harmony" and "peace", and actively promote regional and world peace.

Through practice, the Chinese religious circles have realized that it is our responsibility to practice and learn religious doctrines, to serve the community and benefit everyone. Only by following its own characteristics and our own organization, identifying our position based on reality, doing a good practicable job, can we play a real role in promoting harmony and development. Strengthened dialogue and exchanges are very important to promotepeace and reconciliation. Whether between different religions, or between different ethnic groups, different countries, only when people build up friendly exchanges with mutual understanding, and consolidate the social basis of public opinion of peace and reconciliation, can we provide a solid guarantee for achieving lasting peace and common development.

China has always put emphasis on the concept of religious "harmony" and "peace", saving the world instead of themselves, serving the construction of a harmonious society in China and actively participating in the peace process in the world. China will continue to take practical action in practice of religious beliefs, willing to work with international religious friends to promote the realization of peace in the world.

That's all, thank you.