Speaking at a press conference in Beijing on Monday to mark the
end of his China visit (Oct 8-23), the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Dr. Rowan Williams, said that his two-week visit gave him a better
understanding of China's Christian communities, and paved the way
for a deeper study into how the Church of England and the church in
China could build a more solid relationship.
The tour, organized by the senior leadership of the
Post-denominational Protestant Churches in China and hosted jointly
by the Three Self Patriotic Movement/China Christian Council, and
the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA), took Williams
to Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, and Xi'an before ending in
Beijing.
Addressing the media at the British Embassy in Beijing, Williams
said: "Our original aims of this visit were to get a better
understanding of the situation of the Christian communities in
China and to explore how we might build deeper relations between
the Church of England and the Three Self Patriotic Movement/China
Christian Council here, especially in regard to cooperation in the
training of theologians. And I believe we have fulfilled these aims
and now we can go on to developing specific ways to share skills as
we have discussed."
The Archbishop's key concerns during the visit related to the
church in China and its changing context, the challenges posed by
development and accelerated economic activity, the environmental
agenda in the region, and the debate about constructing a
"harmonious society" in China and how religion might contribute to
this process.
Commenting on the general situation of churches in China,
Williams said: "I have to say that this visit has exceeded our
hopes and expectations." He said he was very impressed with the
large congregations attending Sunday services in some parts of
China. What also caught his attention was the increasing number of
church-backed welfare projects being launched, particularly those
to do with childcare, rural healthcare, and migrant workers. He
highlighted the Chinese government's willingness to support many of
these projects.
Responding to a question on the possibility of future dialogue
between leaders of the major religions, including Christianity,
Williams said: "One of the very interesting observations I made
here is that cooperation comes before dialogue."
During his visit, Williams met with several religious leaders,
academics, local officials, and non-governmental organizations and
business leaders. He also visited many church-related institutions
and initiatives. In addition, he also took part in debates held at
a number of academic institutions.
In Beijing, the Archbishop met with representatives from
government, the SARA and the State Administration Of Environmental
Protection.
Delivering a speech in Nanjing on October 10, Williams said that
China has immense potential in helping to solve the world's
problems because it is emerging as a senior partner in the
fellowship of nations. He emphasized that China had its place in a
future that will require nations to work together more than
ever.
China's policy of religious freedom has been carried out soundly
since it implemented reform and opening-up in 1978.
China's Christian community has deep relations with its
counterpart in Britain, according to China's top advisor Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee
of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference, in a meeting with Williams. He said China has
committed itself to building a harmonious society, and religion can
play an important role in that process.
He added that China will continue to support the Christian faith
in China by furthering exchange and cooperation with churches
around the world.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Wang Qian, October 23, 2006)
