近代在中国活动的外国宗教主要有天主教、基督教、东正教和日本佛教。外国宗教人士利用在中国传教之机纷纷进行情报活动。欧美传教士在中国的情报活动主要是为了教会,间接服务于国家利益,尤其是在初期的传教活动中,这一特点更为明显,但在客观上有利于本国的对华扩张;而日本僧侣在华的情报活动则完全是受其政府支使,直接服务于国家利益,其目的是为了配合本国的对外侵略扩张。中日佛教同宗同源,使日本僧侣在华的活动更具鼓动性和隐蔽性,这是欧美传教士不可比拟的。然而,中国政府从来没有正式同意日本僧侣来华传教,而欧美传教士在华传教则受公法保护。因此,日本佛教团体在华的区域也相对集中于几个省份,而没能像欧美基督教那样全面开花。 Modern foreign religions in China mainly include Catholic, Christian, Orthodox and Japanese Buddhism. Foreign religious figures have used their chances of preaching in China to carry out intelligence activities one after another. The intelligence activities of missionaries in Europe and the United States in China are mainly for the purpose of serving the Church indirectly and serving the interests of the nation. This is especially evident in the early missionary activities, but this objective is more conducive to its own expansion to China. Japanese monks Intelligence activities in China are entirely supported by their governments and directly serve the interests of the country. Their purpose is to cooperate with their own country’s aggressive aggression and expansion. The same origin of Chinese Buddhism and Buddhism in Japan makes the activities of Japanese monks in China more agile and concealed, which is unmatched by European and American missionaries. However, the Chinese government never officially agreed with Japanese monks to come to China for missionary work, while missionary missionary work by European and American missionaries in China was protected by public law. Therefore, the areas where Japanese Buddhist groups are located in China are also relatively concentrated in several provinces, failing to fully blossom like Christianity in Europe and America.