Number of religious Chinese may be triple estimates

BEIJING, Feb 7 (Reuters) China's population of religious believers could be three times larger than official estimates, a Chinese newspaper said today, citing a survey.

A poll of about 4,500 people, conducted by professors at the Shanghai-based East China Normal University, found that 31.4 percent of Chinese aged 16 and above, or about 300 million, were religious.

''The number of people who describe themselves as religious is a startling three times more than the official estimate,'' the China Daily said.

The officially atheist Communists, who have run China since 1949, say religious freedom is enshrined in the constitution and citizens are free to attend ceremonies at churches, mosques and temples under state control.

But international rights groups have accused China of jailing Catholic priests and Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns for remaining loyal to the Pope or the Dalai Lama, respectively.

According to the survey, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Islam were the major religions, accounting for 67.4 percent of believers.

''A striking feature is the revitalisation of traditional Chinese religions,'' the newspaper said, not giving details of how the poll was conducted.

About 200 million people were Buddists, Taoists or worshippers of legendary figures such as the Dragon King and God of Fortune, accounting for 66.1 per cent of all believers.

Of 1,361 people questioned, 24.1 percent said religion ''shows the true path of life'' and 28 percent said it ''helps to cure illness, avoid disasters and ensure that life is smooth''.

REUTERS RL VV0831