Cultural Exchange with China: History

In the '80s and '90, there was an organization whose primary task was to select teachers to go to China and teach english in various universities.   This was seen as very urgent need by the University authorities and was desired greatly by the students.  The teachers were invited to witness  to the Gospel through their lives.  

The number of applicants for this grew fewer and fewer.  So those involved had a rethink about the task.

Two factors determined the thinking: first the clear place that China was beginning to occupy on the world stage and the significance of this; the second factor was the resurrection of the Catholic Church in China after the 'opening up' of Deng Zhao Peng.

This thinking led us to adopt a boader perspective to the engagement between  Britain and China.  Hence the vision of building bridges between the Catholic Church of Britain and that of China.  This was envisoned as a partnership with each party having something important to offer to the other.  All our efforts today continue to work to this vision.