The 11th National Congress of the Buddhist Association of China is held in Beijing from December 28 to 29, 2025. Photo: The Buddhist Association of China

The 11th National Congress of the Buddhist Association of China was held in Beijing from December 28 to 29, 2025, according to a report published on the official WeChat account of the Buddhist Association of China on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by 547 Buddhist representatives of the three major language traditions from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, along with 106 specially invited representatives. Duan Yijun, vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and head of the National Religious Affairs Administration, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. 

The meeting elected the 11th Council and the Standing Council of the Buddhist Association of China, with Yanjue being elected as its president, according to the report.

For the first time, the meeting also elected the first Supervisory Committee of the Buddhist Association of China, with Zhengci serving as the chief supervisor. Additionally, deputy supervisor and board members of the Supervisory Committee were also elected. 

According to publicly available information, Zhengci was born in 1971 and ordained as a monk in April 1983. He is a native of Daye, Hubei Province. He served as the President of the Hubei Provincial Buddhist Association, the Abbot of Huangmei Wuzu Temple, and the Abbot of Honghua Temple on Dongfang Mountain in Huangshi, Hubei Province. Having previously served as Vice President of the 9th and 10th Councils of the Buddhist Association of China, he has now been elected as the chief supervisor of the first Supervisory Committee of the Buddhist Association of China and will no longer hold the position of Vice President, The Paper reported on Tuesday.

In recent years, local Buddhist associations in many regions have established supervisory committees, including one in Shenyang in Liaoning Province, Jinjiang in Fujian Province, and the provincial association in Jilin Province. 

According to previous announcements of the Shenyang Buddhist Association, the local supervisory committee adheres to the principles of "collective leadership, democratic centralism, full discussion, and decision by meeting." Its duty includes conducting collective deliberation, exploring work approaches, and exercising supervisory functions.