BEIJING — China’s president warned Wednesday that religions must be independent from foreign influence, as the government asked domestic religious groups to pledge loyalty to the state.
China is ruled by the officially atheist Communist Party, and Beijing attempts to control the spread of religions.
‘‘We must manage religious affairs in accordance with the law and adhere to the principle of independence to run religious groups on our own accord,’’ President Xi Jinping said at a high-level party meeting that sought to unite non-Communist Party groups and individuals. His comments were widely reported in state media.
‘‘Active efforts should be made to incorporate religions into socialist society,’’ Xi said, adding that the party should focus on winning over the hearts and minds of the public for the party.
As part of its approach to religions since the 1990s, the government believes hostile foreign forces can use religion to infiltrate Chinese society by winning over the population and subverting party rule.
Still, religions have spread quickly in the country as people largely abandon communist values.