In response to Pope Francis' offer for a new dialogue with the country, China's government cautions the Vatican to not 'interfere' with their religion as ties between the Holy See and Beijing are still on the rocks.

The Pope's efforts to reach out to China have never been this strong as the Argentinian head of the Catholic Church insisted on reconnecting with the far eastern country.

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During his return flight from South Korea, Pope Francis cheerfully said he was ready to go visit China after he received positive responses from President Xi Jinping in reply to his two goodwill telegrams sent while his plane flew over the country.

On August 18, the Pope was interviewed by media and declared that he and the Catholic Church respect the Chinese people and "only asks for liberty for its task."

"In this spirit of openness to others, I earnestly hope that those countries of your continent with whom the Holy See does not yet enjoy a full relationship may not hesitate to further a dialogue for the benefit of all," he stated during a meeting with around 80 Asian bishops on August 13.

During the meeting held in South Korea, the Pope urged Asian countries to see China coming to them not as a 'conqueror' but as a partner in a dialogue, telling them that the most important thing is to 'walk together.'

The Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) however, gave a cautionary response in relation to China's choice of religion.

"China will always safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and it never allows foreign forces to interfere with religion," CPA Vice President Liu Yuanlong told China's Global Times.

Meanwhile, Institute of World Religions Director Zhuo Xinping at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences welcomed the Argentinian pontiff's efforts in reconnecting with Beijing since he became Pope, citing that the 77-year-old Pope is 'a friend of developing economies' due to his Latin-American roots.

TagsPope Francis, Vatican, China religion, pope in china, pope in asia