On April 3, 2026, the eighth meeting of the Russia–China Working Group on Contacts and Cooperation in the Religious Sphere took place in Beijing. The event was held at the State Administration for Religious Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and brought together government officials, representatives of religious organizations, and experts from both countries.

The Russian delegation included representatives of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leading academic institutions, and the country’s traditional religious organizations. With the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Hieromonk Kirill (Peregudin), a staff member of the DECR Secretariat for Far Abroad Countries, also took part in the meeting.

The Chinese side was represented by Duan Yijun, Head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs of the PRC, Deputy Head Qin He, and representatives of the Buddhist, Taoist, Catholic, and Islamic communities of China.

During the meeting, the participants discussed a broad range of issues related to the development of Russian–Chinese cooperation in the religious sphere. Particular attention was paid to expanding interreligious exchanges, promoting joint educational and research initiatives, and addressing issues related to the preservation and strengthening of traditional spiritual and moral values. The participants emphasized the importance of continuing dialogue in the spiritual sphere as an essential part of the humanitarian cooperation between the two countries.

As part of the program, a roundtable discussion titled “Adaptation of Religion to Local Society and Culture” was also held, focusing on contemporary models of interaction between religious traditions and national cultural contexts.

In addition to the official program, the Russian delegation visited several religious and cultural sites in Beijing, including the Dormition Church on the grounds of the Russian Embassy, Dongsi Mosque, the China Islamic Association, the Baiyunguan Taoist Monastery, the Chinese Catholic Association, and the Guangji Buddhist Monastery.

A separate highlight of the visit was a meeting at the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association on April 4. Archbishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing congratulated the Russian guests on the 80th anniversary of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate and expressed interest in further developing cooperation with Orthodox believers from Russia.

In response, Hieromonk Kirill (Peregudin) thanked the Chinese side for its willingness to provide Catholic church buildings for the Orthodox community in Beijing to hold worship services, congratulated Chinese Catholics on the upcoming Easter celebration, and presented the organization with an icon of Christ the Savior and a collection of spiritual hymns in Russian and Chinese.