Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the Diocese of Ili-baluc (ca 1300)

In 1307 Clement V sent seven friars having the rank of bishop, who were to consecrate Montecorvino as Archbishop of Cambalue and Primate of the Far East; only Andrew of Perugia, Gerard, and Peregrinus reached China in 1308 and consecrated Montecorvino; a bishopric was erected at Zaitun in Fujian, which was occupied in turn by Gerard (d. 1313), Peregrinus (d. 1322), and Andrew of Perugia; Montecorvino died in 1333 and was succeeded by Nicholas, a Paris theologian, who arrived in China with twenty-six friars and six lay brothers.

A mission was also created at Ili-baluc in Central Asia with Richard of Burgundy as its bishop, but it was destroyed. (Catholic Encyclopedia)

A Vatican source has basically the same information, but the name of the Bishop is slightly different:

The Catholic community here (in Kazakhstan) as early as 1300 when a diocese was entrusted to the care of Franciscan friar Henry of Bourgogne, who was later martyred with the entire Catholic community.

The see of the "Ili-baluc" diocese was in Almaliq, (later known as Kuldja/Kulja, now Yining) in the upper part of the Ili valley, and today in China.

Later, from 1888 until 1922, the Catholic Mission in today's Xinjiang in China ("Eastern Turkestan" / "Chinese Turkestan") was called the I-li Mission. It also had Kuldja / Yining at its centre.

(Sources: Research of Mr. Michael Brislin,
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03669a.htm
Fides )

- CT