# State Administration for Religious Affairs

The National Religious Affairs Administration (NRAA), formerly the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), is an external name of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Formerly, it was an executive agency directly under the State Council of the People's Republic of China which oversaw religious affairs in the country. SARA was merged into the UFWD in 2018. The names of the former agency were retained by the UFWD as external names under the system called "one institution with two names".

## History

Originally created in 1951 as the Religious Affairs Bureau, SARA was closely connected with the United Front Work Department (UFWD) and charged with overseeing the operations of China's five officially sanctioned religious organizations:
* Buddhist Association of China
* Chinese Taoist Association
* Islamic Association of China
* Three-Self Patriotic Movement (Protestant)
* Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association
The State Administration for Religious Affairs was established to exercise control over religious appointments, the selection of clergy, and the interpretation of religious doctrine. SARA was also meant to ensure that the registered religious organizations support and carry out the policy priorities of the CCP. For instance, SARA has maintained a "living Buddha database" to track prominent Tibetan Buddhists who are loyal to the CCP.
Ye Xiaowen directed the SARA from 1995 to 2009. During his tenure, he issued the State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5, which furthered state control over reincarnations in Tibetan Buddhism, and attempted to suppress underground Catholics loyal to Rome (which he considered "colonial") and not to the government-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. After Ye was promoted to the Secretary of the CCP Committee at the Central Institute of Socialism, the former Deputy Director Wang Zuo'an was promoted to Director. In 2018, that NRAA was merged into the UFWD.

## Leadership
### Directors
#### Religious Issues Research Group of the Cultural and Educational Committee of the State Council

| Name | Chinese name | Took office | Left office | Ref. |
| Shao Quanlin | 邵荃麟 | August 1950 | January 1951 | |

#### Religious Affairs Department of the Cultural and Educational Committee of the State Council

| Name | Chinese name | Took office | Left office | Ref. |
| He Chengxiang | 何成湘 | January 1951 | 1954 | |

#### Religious Affairs Bureau

| Name | Chinese name | Took office | Left office |
| He Chengxiang | 何成湘 | 1954 | March 1961 |
| Xiao Xianfa | 萧贤法 | March 1961 | 1975 |
| Bureau Disestablished | Bureau Disestablished | 1975 | 1979 |
| Xiao Xianfa | 萧贤法 | April 1979 | 18 August 1981 |
| Qiao Liansheng | 乔连升 | 1982 | 1983 |
| Ren Wuzhi | 任务之 | 1983 | 1992 |
| Zhang Shengzuo | 张声作 | 1992 | 1995 |
| Ye Xiaowen | 叶小文 | May 1995 | March 1998 |
State Administration of Religious Affairs
| Name | Chinese name | Took office | Left office |
| Ye Xiaowen | 叶小文 | March 1998 | September 2009 |
| Wang Zuo'an | 王作安 | September 2009 | June 2022 |
| Cui Maohu | 崔茂虎 | 7 June 2022 | 18 March 2023 |
| Chen Ruifeng | 陈瑞峰 | 20 March 2023 | Incumbent |