American-Chinese Multi-Faith Religious Exchanges: Sino-U.S. Multi-Faith Dialogues Build Bridges to Bilateral Understanding

Abstract

Differing concepts on the relationship of religion to government, and the related concepts of religious freedom and human rights, have been the substance of much cross-strait dialogue between China and the United States. This interchange has sometimes been amicable but frequently polarizing at other times. In 2008 and 2009, two delegations were formed with the intent to understand and overcome some of these differences through a bilateral exchange of multi-faith religious leaders. In the fall of 2008, twelve Chinese religious leaders and government officials spent ten days in the United States. The following fall, fourteen U.S. religious leaders traveled to China for a reciprocal exchange. In June 2007, Davis Froeber of Forest Hills Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina, was invited to meet with Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, the People's Republic of China's ambassador to the United States, and also with Counselor Li Liansheng of the Chinese Embassy in the United States. The topic of this meeting was the American public's perception regarding the role of religion in China. Ambassador Zhou offered that the American public holds many stereotypes in regard to religion in China. Froeber suggested that the same held true about religion in China. Following this interchange, Ambassador Zhou proposed that a bilateral exchange of religious delegations would have a positive impact on the American public's understanding of religion in China. Ambassador Zhou asked Froeber to proceed with plans for organizing the proposed delegation.