China is set to send what it claims to be the Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic to Thailand, a move wrapped in grandeur but steeped in manipulation. From December 5, 2024, to February 14, 2025, Thai devotees will venerate a relic purportedly connected to the Buddha himself. However, a deeper examination reveals this enshrinement is less about reverence and more about China’s soft-power play, weaponizing religion to advance its geopolitical ambitions.