Beijing's latest move to establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican is not likely to be realized, given unchanging differences with regards to religious freedom in China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
The Hong Kong-based daily Wen Wei Po quoted Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao (劉建超) yesterday as saying that Beijing hoped that relations with the Vatican could be normalized but that the Holy See would have to cut off diplomatic ties with Taiwan first.
"In order to realize the normalization of ties between China and the Vatican, the Vatican should give up interfering in China's religious affairs and cut off diplomatic ties with Taiwan," Liu was quoted as saying.
"It must also recognize that there is only one China in the world, and the government of the People's Republic of China is its only legal representative government," he said.
Government officials in Taipei, however, do not feel that ties with the Vatican are threatened in any way but said that they had taken notice of Liu's remarks and were keeping an eye on developments.
"China has long taken this position and expressed such sentiments, but it is clear that there are some very basic factors that stand in the way of China and the Vatican ever being able to establish normal diplomatic relations," MOFA spokesman Michel Lu (呂慶龍) said.
"There are things that the Vatican wouldn't reasonably be able to accept ? such as China's lack of religious freedom" Lu said.
Taiwan's diplomatic allies are few and far between as Beijing requires that its allies recognize the "one China" principle and forgo forging ties with Taipei. Most recently, Taiwan cut off official ties with Grenada in January after the Caribbean nation signed a joint communique with Beijing. Taiwan briefly added Vanuatu to its list of allies last November, before the island switched its allegiance back to Beijing.
Taiwan's diplomatic allies, mostly in Central and Southern America, currently total 25.
"It's clear that China is just doing this to mislead the international community. They just want to act as if they actually care," Lu said, responding to questions regarding Beijing's timing in urging normalized ties with the Vatican.
Lu said that Taiwan's embassy in the Holy See was in close contact with the Vatican with regards to Pope John Paul's health and had expressed concern on behalf of the nation.
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