Anglican Head to Have 'First Direct Encounter with China'
By Anne Thomas
Christian Post Correspondent
Sun, Oct. 08 2006 09:10 AM ET

LONDON – Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is to begin a two-week visit to China this weekend, his office announced Friday.

The visit, which starts Sunday, "is intended to provide a deeper understanding of the Christian communities in China and the varied context in which it is developing," it said. The trip follows visits to China by previous spiritual leaders of the Church of England, including the late Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, who visited in 1983, and William's predecessor, George Carey, who visited in 1994.

The archbishop's office said that there would be opportunities in the latest visit "to engage with religious leaders, academics, local and national government officials, NGOs and business leaders."

"The Archbishop's key concerns are to engage with 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 the contribution of religion within this process," the office reported. the rest