The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday reiterated that ties between Taiwan and its sole European diplomatic ally, the Vatican, remain strong following a report by a Hong Kong media outlet that the Holy See and China have reached an agreement on the appointment of Chinese bishops, which is rumored to signal the forthcoming resumption of diplomatic relations between the two states.
The Chinese-language Hong Kong Apple Daily on Thursday reported that Hong Kong Cardinal John Tong Hon (湯漢) published an article on the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong’s Web site, saying that after years of efforts, the Catholic Church has “gradually gained the reconsideration of the Chinese government, which is now willing to reach an understanding with the Holy See on the question of the appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church in China and seek a mutually acceptable plan.”
“Even though the agreement’s concrete terms have not been made public, we believe that Pope Francis ... would not accept any agreement that would harm the integrity of faith of the universal church or the communion between the Catholic Church in China and the universal church,” the article said.
The newspaper said that the mentioning of the agreement indirectly confirmed the speculation, which has been circulating for the past six months, that the two sides have been negotiating an agreement.
The cardinal said that the agreement between the Holy See and Beijing “is an example of human dialogue, the beginning of the normalization of a mutual relationship.”
Responding to media queries about the report, the ministry emphasized the strong ties between Taiwan and the Vatican and the frequent interactions between their top echelons.
“We have been in close co-operation with the Vatican and officials from both sides have often paid visits to each other,” the ministry said, citing various examples of co-sponsored activities and humanitarian aid plans, as well as agreements signed in the past few years.
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples secretary Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-fai (韓大輝) and the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family president Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia came to Taiwan last year, the ministry said, adding that Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses president Archbishop Piero Marini and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle visited Taiwan in May, while Apostolic Nuncio of Japan Archbishop Joseph Chennoth attended the presidential inauguration ceremony on May 20.
“We will continue to proactively participate in the international activities held by the Holy See and improve the bilateral relationship,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that it has been staying abreast of the dialogue between the Holy See and China and will continue to follow the developments.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Judges Jeremy Poon (潘兆初), Anthea Pang (彭寶琴) and Derek Pang (彭偉昌) said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.” “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges
RSS