All ethnic groups enjoy equal freedom of religious belief: white paper

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- All ethnic groups enjoy freedom of religious belief equally in China, said a white paper published here Sunday.

"Freedom of religious belief in China means that every citizen has the freedom to believe or not to believe in any religion," said the white paper issued by the Information office of the State Council.

In China, all normal religious activities, including those of ethnic minorities, are protected by law, said the paper, entitled China's Ethnic Policy and Common Prosperity and Development of All Ethnic Groups.

Venues for religious activities are found all over China, basically satisfying the needs of religious believers, it said.

There are over 24,300 mosques in Xinjiang and 28,000 Moslem clergymen, it said.

In Tibet, there are over 1,700 venues for Tibetan-Buddhist activities, with 46,000 monks and nuns living in temples, the document said.

Besides, the Chinese government also helps religious groups build seminaries to train clergymen of ethnic minorities, subsidizes the repairs of some religious venues in minority areas, and gives allowances to poor religious believers of ethnic minorities, according to the white paper.