Religious spokesmen meet the media

Nine spokespersons for China's national religious groups made their debut together at a press conference on Monday.

The nine spokespersons, including Master Puzheng, spokesman for the Buddhist Association of China, and Ma Zhongping, spokesman for the Islamic Association of China, first appeared in the spotlight after an information briefing system was established in January to boost transparency in religious matters.

The spokespersons made a joint statement indicating all religious groups will enhance communication with the media and the public.

Each spokesperson introduced the basic information of their religion in China, the key tasks this year and ways to improve future cooperation with the media.

When replying to the "fake monk brothers" incident, Master Puzheng called for relevant departments to investigate and handle the case, and safeguard the interests of real Buddhists.

Last week, astonishing pictures posted online of two men in monk robes depositing cash and checking in at a hotel with girls aroused fierce discussion among netizens.

The two were later seized in a temple by monks and handed over to the police. They were confirmed to have faked being monks.

The two men have tarnished the image of Buddhism and violated the nation's religious policy, said the spokesman.

He called for Chinese from all walks of life to expose other similar cases, noting that the Buddhism circle is identifying and documenting information of Buddhists nationwide.