"Practically all the prominent leaders of thought in China today are openly agnostics and even atheists"

Hu Shih, a Chinese philosopher and diplomat, is stating that lots of influential thinkers in China do not believe in a higher power. The term "agnostic" recommends unpredictability or doubt about the existence of God or gods, while "atheist" shows a company denial of their existence. Hu Shih's observation implies that shock in religious beliefs is increasingly accepted amongst China's intellectual class.