INTER-RELIGIO 37/ Summer 2000 3 Christianity and the Development of China’s Civil Society: A Comparative and Prospective Analysis Benoit Vermander Taipei Ricci Institute Christian churches in China are still under state supervision. When they try to escape this supervision, they have to face an array of repressive measures. Re- ligion in China is considered to be a “private matter.” However, religious groups are supposed to contribute to social development, but they have to do so in strict compliance with the directives given by the state and the imperatives of Socialist construction. In such circumstances, can Christianity still be relevant for China’s future? This paper will not directly focus on the relationships between Christi- anity and the State. I will rather concentrate on the present and possi- ble future contribution of Christianity to the building-up of a genuine Chinese civil society, and I will do so in a comparative perspective. In the triangular relationship between State, Society and Religion, there is room for creativity and new openings. This paper pays special attention to such openings. I will first put the relationship between Christianity and Chinese society in its historical framework. Afterwards, I will inves- tigate whether the Catholic Church contributes to the building-up of civil society in China today. As a way to enlarge our perspective, I will contrast this analysis with the one that can be done on other religious movements. Finally I will propose an agenda on the way Christians can contribute to the building-up of civil society in China. This part will concentrate on “peacemaking” as a way to define the specificity of the Christian contribution. 1. CHINA AND CHRISTIANITY: AN OVERVIEW In 1601, the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci was granted permission to settle permanently in Beijing, where he would stay until his death, in 1610.