In 1924 Pope Pius XI's Apostolic Delegate to China, Celso Costantini gathered bishops, Vicars and Prefects Apostolic, religious provincials and superiors, and priests from all parts of China in the city of Shanghai for the Council for China. The Shanghai Council, solemnly inaugurated on 14 May and concluded on 12 June, was the first plenary Council in the history of the Catholic Church in China. Members of different nationalities and religious orders contributed to the issue of decrees on various aspects of ecclesiastical life in China. The decrees had a significant influence on evangelisation in the following decades.

The 100th anniversary of the First Council for China provides an opportunity to consider the history of the Council and its significance for the Catholic Church in China. The Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy and the Xavier Centre for Memory and Identity of the University of Saint Joseph will host a symposium on the centenary of the Council from 26 June to 29 June 2024. Speakers include: Archbishop Savio Hon, Fr. Gianni Criveller, Prof. Cindy Chu, Dr. Anthony Lam, Prof. Leo Leeb, Prof. Tiangang Li, Prof. Meixiu Wang.