China News reported on June 10, that in mid-May, a Chinese Buddhist delegation headed by the Panchen Lama, Vice President of the Chinese Buddhist Association went to Thailand to attend the celebration of the closing ceremony of the United Nations Welcome Day and made a friendly visit to the Thai Buddhist community. This is the first time the Panchen has gone abroad. The Panchen Lama said in an interview that the trip made him “feel the greatness of the motherland and the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese people,” and expressed gratitude to the CCP for leading China to greatness and prosperity. The article also reported that when he saw the Buddha’s compassion promoting social harmony in Thailand, the Panchen Lama stressed his role and responsibility to guide Chinese and especially Tibetan Buddhism to “better and more quickly adapt to socialist society with Chinese characteristics, continuously adhere to the sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism, maximize the positive role of religion, and contribute to safeguarding the motherland’s reunification and national unity.”
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