Respecting and protecting the freedom of religious belief is a basic policy of the Chinese Government. This policy is carried out in the Tibet Autonomous Region as it is elsewhere in China. The policy may be briefly stated as asserting citizens' freedom to believe or not believe in any religion, to abandon a religion he or she followed in the past or follow a religion that he or she didn't follow in the past, and to follow any sect within a given religion.

After the peaceful liberation of Tibet, institutions at various levels in Tibet earnestly carried out the policy of freedom of religious belief and were widely praised. Currently, under the protection of the Constitution and laws, the people of Tibet enjoy fully the freedom of developing normal religious activities.

At present, there are 1,787 monasteries and other places for religious activity in Tibet, satisfying the needs of the masses for a normal religious life. Since the 1980s, the State has allocated over 380 million yuan in special funding to Tibet to implement the policy of freedom of religious belief, and to repair the 7th century Jokhang Monastery, the 8th century Samye Monastery and four famous Gelug monasteries, Zhaibung, Sera, Gandain and Tashilhunpo. In addition, the State invested 55 million yuan for a five-year restoration of the Potala Palace and provided 6.70 million yuan, 111 kg of gold, over 2,000 kg of silver and a large quantity of precious stones towards the renovation of the stupas and memorial halls of the 5th through 9th Panchen Erdeni. In 1994, the Central Government allocated 20 million yuan to further repair the Gandain Monastery. In January 1992, the 10th Panchen Erdeni Qoigyai Gyaincain passed away. The State allocated money for the construction of his stupa and memorial hall in Tashilhunpo Monastery, and held a grand initiation ceremony in accordance with traditional Tibetan Buddhist ritual. With the approval of the Central Government, the search for and confirmation of the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Erdeni, and the enthronement of the 11th Panchen Erdeni were done smoothly in 1995.