I STRONGLY disagree with the conclusion of your editorial ('Necessary meetings', September 9), that Archbishop Carey's visit to China would be meaningless if he did not meet with 'underground Christians'.
The statement that Dr Carey's 'giving his stamp of approval to the government-sanctioned establishment at a time when many thousands of Christians suffer official intimidation and repression would be a breach of the trust placed in him as the leader of a free-world church', is completely off the point.
First of all, as a Christian, I object to the attempt to instrumentalise the church for any political aims of the so-called 'free world'.
The church is responsible to her Lord only, and any political statements or actions have to be in responsibility to this Lord, and not to a political agenda, be it ever so correct.
Secondly, I don't think that anybody could go as far as calling the China Christian Council (CCC) a false church.
It is widely agreed that the majority of the members and leaders of this church are true Christians who honestly try to live out their faith in often difficult circumstances.
While some foreigners and also a number of Chinese Christians may not share the CCC's approach of living within the law and solving conflicts through dialogue and consultation, it is simply ridiculous to call this church a 'government-sanctioned establishment', as if it were just a sham body set up by the Chinese Government to deceive the outside world.
