Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, attends a symposium with leaders of national religious groups ahead of the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2019. Wang Yang on Friday extended New Year greetings to religious personages and believers nationwide. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Friday extended New Year greetings to religious personages and believers nationwide.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, extended the greetings at a symposium with leaders of national religious groups ahead of the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year.

Speaking highly of the religious groups' work in 2018, Wang urged them to implement the major decisions and plans on religious affairs of the CPC Central Committee and safeguard ethnic unity, religious harmony and social harmony.

Development of religions should be closely integrated with the nation's future and destiny, Wang said.

He called for efforts to guide religious personages and believers to conscientiously safeguard the authority of the Constitution and the law and take tough steps to resist and oppose illegal activities using religion as a tool.

Wang stressed that the CPC Central Committee will, as usual, attach great importance to the unity and cooperation with religious personages and care for and support the work of religious groups.

You Quan, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China and Minister of the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee attended the symposium. Leaders from the Buddhist Association of China, Chinese Taoist Association, Chinese Islamic Association, Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the National Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Church in China delivered speeches respectively.