Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) slammed China on Thursday for clamping down further on religious freedom and vowed to cooperate more closely with the Vatican to defend such freedom after Beijing recently issued a set of rules on religious clergies.

“The Chinese government’s recent issuance of Measures for the Administration of Religious Personnel is solid proof of its increased suppression of religious freedom,” MOFA’s spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) said at a regular press briefing.

The regulations “nationalized” religion as they clearly state that all religious personnel in China should support the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), she said.

The new measures will be implemented from May 1.