Archbishop in first China visit

Dr Rowan Williams will discuss challenges facing the Church

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to visit China for the first time later this year.

Dr Williams will visit five cities, including the capital Beijing, after being invited by senior Protestant church leaders in China.

He will meet religious and business leaders as well as government officials to discuss challenges facing the Church and society, he said in a statement.

Previous Archbishops of Canterbury visited China in 1983 and 1994.

Dr Williams said he was "greatly looking forward" to his visit.

"I very much welcome this opportunity to come alongside the Church in China, as well as to gain a fuller appreciation of China's remarkable development in recent years and its unique cultural heritage," he said.