http://orthodox.cn/news/20091118beijing_en.htm
DECR Communication Service
November 17, 2009

Archbishop Hilarion meets with representatives of the traditional religions of
China

On 18 November 2009, Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk met with representatives
of the traditional religions of China at the headquarters of the Islamic
Association of China. The head of the delegation of the Presidential Council for
Cooperation with Religious Organizations and the Moscow Patriarchate Department
for external church relations was greeted by a member of the People's Political
Consultative Council of China and deputy head of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic
Association Anthony Liu Bainian, deputy head of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic
Association and the Chinese Bishops' Conference Bishop Ma Yingling of Kunming,
deputy general secretaries of the Islamic Association of China Zhang Guanglin
and Balati, head of the foreign relations department of the Islamic Association
of China Chen Yulong, deputy secretary general of the Buddhist Association of
China Chen Wanyao, and staff member of the international department of the same
association Wang Li.

Taking part in the meeting were members of the Russian delegation, including A.
Kudryavtsev, the Presidential Council executive secretary; Archpriest Nikolai
Balashov, DECR MP deputy chairman; A. Povalyaev, first secretary of the Russian
Embassy in the People's Republic of China; and D. Petrovsky and I. Kopeikin,
DECR staff members.

Anthony Liu Bainian told the DECR Chairman about the life of the followers of
the traditional religions of China, such as Buddhism, Daoism, Islam,
Catholicism, and Protestantism.

Archbishop Hilarion appreciated an opportunity to meet with representatives of
the traditional religious association of China and told those present about the
present situation of the Russian Orthodox Church, her external activities and
dialogue with representatives of the world religions, and the tasks of the
delegation's visit. The development of cooperation of religious contacts between
Russia and China is stipulated by the provisions of the intergovernmental
agreements, he added.

Archbishop Hilarion shared his views on the situation of the Chinese Autonomous
Orthodox Church and dialogue with the Chinese State Administration for Religious
Affairs (SARA) on the on possible aid to revive her liturgical life.

On behalf of representatives of the traditional religious organization, Anthony
Liu Bainian expressed his appreciation of the ongoing dialogue on the
normalization of the situation of Orthodoxy in China and added that, as a
Catholic, he is well aware of the importance of having the well-trained
clergymen and church buildings so that the Orthodox Christians could lead a
normal church life.

That same day Archbishop Hilarion left for Harbin. The Russian Ambassador to
China S. Razov bid farewell to the delegation at the airport. Archbishop
Hilarion and members of the Russian delegation exchanged opinions on the
preliminary results of the talks with the director of a SARA department, Ms. Liu
Jinguang.