The Catholic Church in China has also been invited fre- quently to send delegations to visit many countries and their churches, which has enhanced the communication between Chinaand other churches. On numerous occasions, Chinese delega- tions have visited countries such as Canada, Japan, the Philip- pines, Belgium, Hungary, Austria, France, North and South Ko- rea, Malta,, Germany, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indone- sia, the US, England and Switzerland.
The Catholic Church in China has also been actively par- ticipating in international meetings and activities organized by all religions. China has been striving to work with the whole world to further understanding and friendship and protect world peace, respect human dignity, achieve ecological balance and get rid of poverty, etc. In 1981, a joint delegation of the Catholic Church in China and the Chinese Protestant Church participated in a international theological seminary in Montreal, Canada. A total of 158 theologians from 25 countries from five continents participated. Bishop Tu Shihua, Bishop Fu Tieshan and Vicar General Wang Zicheng presented their papers Du Li Zi Zhu Zi Ban Jiaohui Shi Women de Jingshen (Principle of Three- Self"s is our church"s spirit); Zhongguo Tianzhujiao Shenzhang Jiaoyou Wei Jidu Zuo Jianzhen (Chinese clergy and laity are witnesses to Christ), Cong Mangmu Fucong Dao Du Li Zi Zhu de Xing Ren Shi (New Understanding of from Blind Obedience to Three-Self"s)? They tried to show, fromboth the theoretical and practical point of view, the correctness of why China insisted on the Three-Self"s. From the beginning of the 1980s, the Catholic Church in China began to send del- egation to participate in the World and Religion Peace Congress wherever it was held in the world. In January 1995, a group of24 including young priests, nuns and lay representatives under the leadership of Father Chu Hanyu attended the tenth Catholic World Youth Day in Manila. In September 1998, Father Ma Yinglin, the Secretary General of the BCCCC, led a group to attend a 5th Seminar on a Chinese Bible held in Singapore. From August 21 to 28th 2000, the United Nations held a Millennium Religious Leaders Peace Congress which invited religious lead- ers from all the world to come to discuss the major issues the human race would face in the new century and their duties and responsibilities. A delegation from China, which was formed by the leaders of Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Catholic Church and Protestant Church, participated. The leader of the delegation was Fu Tieshan who was the President of Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishop of Beijing diocese.
During the 6th Chinese Catholic Representatives Congress held in Beijing in January 1998, Bishop Fu Tieshan gave a work- ing report on behalf of the BCCCC and the Chinese CatholicPatriotic Association. He stated: "As the further development of our economic reform, the friendly communications among the countries in the world are also enhanced. In recent years, be- cause of the frequently friendly visits between China and other countries, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ have come to understand our Church in China. The misunderstandings are gradually disappearing and friendship beginning to be deepened. In the future, we continue to uphold the principle of “respecting each other, be equal and be friendly” when we communicate with any other country in the world. The Catholic Church in China is one part of the Universal Church and this church is willing to share the Christ"s love with all other churches.‘
