Speaking to the advisory body to China’s parliament, Yang Faming, head of the government-linked China Islamic Association said Chinese Muslims need to guard against “creeping Islamisation”, including mosques that copy foreign styles, and strive to practice their faith in a more Chinese way. Yang warned of problems he said had become apparent in recent years which could not be overlooked and he said Islam in China must uphold the successful experience of becoming more Chinese, be guided by core socialist values and oppose radicalisation.
China is home to roughly 20 million Muslims, many living in the western part of the country, from the Uighurs of Xinjiang who speak a Turkic language to the largely sinified Hui people. While China officially guarantees freedom of religion, it has in recent years tightened controls in heavily Muslim areas, nervous about the possibility of radicalisation and violence.
