The Vatican said Saturday it has reached an agreement with the Chinese government on the appointment of bishops in the country, making a historic deal with Beijing that critics say violates church doctrine.

At a meeting held in Beijing, Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, undersecretary for the Holy See's relations with states, and Chinese Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Chao signed a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops in mainland China "following a long process of careful negotiation," according to a communique published in the Holy See's news outlet, Vatican News.

"It concerns the nomination of bishops, a question of great importance for the life of the Church, and creates the conditions for greater collaboration at the bilateral level," the report said.

"The shared hope is that this agreement may favor a fruitful and forward-looking process of institutional dialogue and may contribute positively to the life of the Catholic Church in China, to the common good of the Chinese people and to peace in the world," it added.

No details of the agreement were released, but recent news reports have revealed that under the deal China will be able to nominate bishops, with the nominations being approved or rejected by the Pope.

In addition, the Holy See will pardon a handful of bishops the Chinese authorities have ordained without papal approval, while two underground bishops loyal to the Pope will step down to make way for Beijing-appointed bishops.

In return, Beijing has agreed to recognize the pope as the head of China's Catholics.

China's Foreign Ministry on Saturday confirmed in a brief statement the signing of the provisional agreement, saying that Beijing will "continue to maintain communications with the Vatican and facilitate the continuing improvement of bilateral relations."

China severed ties with the Vatican two years after the atheist Communist Party took power in 1949. The Holy See currently maintains formal diplomatic ties with self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as a wayward province with no right to state-to-state relations.

The Catholic Patriotic Association was established in 1957 as a state-sanctioned church and it has since been ordaining local bishops with or without the Pope's prior consent.

The some 12 million Catholics in China are divided into two groups, with one worshipping in government-managed churches and the other joining underground congregations.

The Vatican agreement did not mention resuming ties with China or severing its relations with self-ruled Taiwan.

The deal has sparked criticism the Vatican is selling out followers who have faced persecution for their loyalty to the Pope, for the sake of cozying up to China.

Cardinal Joseph Zen, a former bishop of Hong Kong, earlier this year called the deal "evil" and warned it may breach the Church's doctrine.