Given the country's need and its resolve to further open up, suppressing Christmas celebrations in the country would only create an image of narrow-minded nationalism, a China Daily editorial stated, regarding Western media reports about China pushing back against Christmas.

Turning a blind eye to the ubiquitous Christmas decorations and festive dining in many cities, such biased reports simply serve as a means to reinforce the stereotype the West that is trying to peddle of the atheist Chinese authorities being anti-religion.  

And one of the lessons from China's success story over the past four decades of reform and opening-up has been the importance of fostering cultural inclusiveness.

Making our own traditional holidays more popular overseas is more desirable than boycotting a Western holiday here, the editorial reported.