China's systematic co-option of Buddhism has hollowed out the faith, turning temples into tourist attractions, monks into state employees, and sacred scriptures into vehicles for promoting obedience to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to a detailed analysis published in the European Times. The report, authored by Khedroob Thondup, nephew of the Dalai Lama, argues that the distortion is most acute in Tibet, where Buddhism is not merely managed but actively weaponised against those who hold it sacred.

Faith as a Political Tool

'China's paradoxical embrace of Buddhism is not about faith but function,' Thondup wrote. 'The CCP, constitutionally atheist, has long sought to neutralise religion's independent authority. Buddhism is tolerated and even promoted when it can be reframed as a cultural asset, a tourist attraction, or a moral supplement to socialism. But when Buddhism carries political or ethnic identity, as in Tibet, it is treated as a threat.'

By promoting a state-sanctioned version of the faith that frames Buddhism as a 'harmonious' tradition discouraging dissent, the CCP effectively channels spiritual yearning into politically compliant expressions, Thondup argued.

Control Over Reincarnation and Monasteries

One of the most consequential assertions in the report concerns Beijing's insistence on its authority to approve the reincarnation of Tibetan lamas — including the future Dalai Lama. Thondup described this as 'a direct attempt to sever Tibetan Buddhism from its spiritual lineage and bind it to state power.'

Monasteries across Tibet, according to the report, operate under strict surveillance. Monks are required to undergo 'patriotic education', with political indoctrination taking precedence over religious learning. Tibetan Buddhist rituals, festivals, and teachings are restricted, regulated, or rebranded as 'folk culture', eroding their spiritual depth. 'Public allegiance to the Dalai Lama is criminalised, casting devotion itself as subversion,' Thondup wrote.

Global Projection vs. Domestic Repression

The report draws a sharp contrast between China's international posture and its domestic conduct. Beijing projects itself as a protector of Buddhist heritage through temple restoration, international forums, and state-funded pilgrimages across Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar — moves Thondup characterises as bids for global legitimacy.

In Tibet, however, the objective is markedly different. Where Buddhism is intertwined with identity, Beijing seeks to weaken Tibetan nationalism and dilute resistance to assimilation by tightening control over the faith. This comes amid longstanding international criticism of China's human rights record in Tibet, which Beijing consistently rejects as interference in its internal affairs.

The Limits of State Control Over Faith

Thondup concluded with a broader observation about the CCP's strategy: 'Even in an atheist state, religion remains too powerful to ignore. The CCP's paradoxical reliance on Buddhism shows that belief, when stripped of transcendence, can be repurposed as ideology. But the repression of Tibetan Buddhism demonstrates the limits of this strategy: faith, at its core, resists control. The more Beijing tries to own it, the more it exposes its own insecurity.'

The report adds to a growing body of documentation by Tibetan advocates and international observers warning that China's religious management policies risk permanently fracturing one of the world's oldest living Buddhist traditions.