Pope Benedict XVI said Friday he hoped that Chinese bishops would soon be able to come to Rome.
Speaking during an audience with Catholic bishops from Hong Kong and Macao, the pope said: ''I hope the bishops of the People's Republic (of China) may soon come to Rome in pilgrimage to the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul, as a sign of communion with the successor of Peter and with the Universal Church''.
Earlier this week China's ambassador to Italy Sun Yuxi said there were signs of progress in negotiations between China and the Vatican but it would take ''some time'' before full diplomatic relations could be established.
The ambassador said Vatican officials would be welcome at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on August 8 but not as official representatives of the Holy See.
The pope has called for greater dialogue with the officially atheist state, making it clear he wants to eventually restore full diplomatic ties with Beijing.
Ties were severed in 1951, soon after the Communist Revolution.
Tensions between the two states continue to be fed by the uncertain status of China's Catholic community. Said to number between 12 and 14 million, it is divided between those whose final allegiance is with the pope and those who accept the ultimate authority of the Chinese state.
This split makes every bishop's appointment a source of tension. The Vatican says it should have the final word, a situation which is unacceptable for the state-run Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics.
Earlier this month, Chinese authorities invited Hong Kong bishop, John Tong Hon, to the opening ceremony of the Games, a move seen as further evidence of a thaw in relations.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Tong 'coadjutor' bishop in January, meaning he will step into the shoes of 76-year-old cardinal Joseph Zen as the head of Hong Kong's Catholic community upon Zen's retirement.
Tong's invitation to attend the August 8 ceremony came a month after the Vatican hosted a concert by the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra, at which the Pope sent greetings to ''the entire Chinese people''.
