China must be on guard against foreign infiltration through religion and stop “extremists” spreading their ideology, President Xi Jinping told a top-level meeting on managing religion, state media reported on Sunday. China must also manage the Internet to promote the Communist Party’s religious theories and policies, the official Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying.

“We must resolutely resist overseas infiltration through religious means and guard against ideological infringement by extremists,” Xi was quoted as saying at a two-day national working conference on religion that ended on Saturday. The ruling Communist Party says it protects freedom of religion, but it keeps a tight rein on religious activities and allows only officially recognized religious institutions to operate. FULL REPORT