It is not easy being a Catholic bishop in China, not even when you are the deputy chairman of the government-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.
On the sidelines of this year's Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference meeting, Bishop Zhan Silu chooses his words carefully under the watchful eyes of state security agents.
'During the Cultural Revolution most priests were persecuted, but since the settlement of the central policies the attitude of the government has been mild and generous,' says the bishop of Mindong in Fujian province .
The official church is facing a crisis of succession because of its ageing leadership. Of the eight official Catholic CPPCC delegates, three, including Bishop Fu Tieshan , the current leader of the association, were not able to attend this year because of old age and poor health.
The 45-year-old Bishop Zhan, who studied for three years in Hong Kong, has been tipped by many observers as the most likely successor to Bishop Fu.
Catholics on the mainland are only allowed to worship in government-controlled churches, which recognise the Pope as a spiritual leader but appoint their own priests and bishops, a sticking point in ongoing negotiations to normalise relations between the Holy See and Beijing. The other critical factor is the Vatican's official recognition of Taiwan.
According to Bishop Zhan, the dialogue is progressing well and the two sides could reach an agreement 'very soon'. He said he had not been to the Vatican, but did travel to Germany, the home country of newly appointed Pope Benedict, last year. He did not comment on the reason for his trip.
