Holy See still recognizes Taiwan as official "China". China started courting Vatican a few years ago to change recognition, one point of leverage is 2018 Holy S

Holy See still recognizes Taiwan as official "China". China started courting Vatican a few years ago to change recognition, one point of leverage is 2018 Holy See-China Agreement which allows Pope to veto bishops China select, which gives Vatican some semblance of control and future access. On religion, just the opposite if you go by Buddhism numbers, +200m since cultural revolution. I've read that China wants to promote religion with Chinese characteristics as a foreign policy tool. Countries along the Belt & Road in China's sphere of influence are religious - being able to send out Chinese representatives with shared religious background might be beneficial. Maybe Chinese missionaries could even disseminate religion with Chinese characteristics. On top of internal stability, behind the elevated repression happening in XJ and Tibet are efforts to sinicize the major religions in terms of physical design (symbolism, architecture) and political structure to harmonize with Chinese society. Maybe there's a generalized "socialist" package for authoritarian governments to export. Though I find this thesis suspect, it invites sectarianism when money is already the universal religion, one China manipulates effectively.