Taiwan-Vatican relations remain firm and stable, Taiwanese Ambassador to the Holy See Tu Chou-shen (杜筑生) said yesterday in Taipei, stressing that many issues remain before the Vatican would be willing to normalize relations with Beijing.
“I cannot say the Vatican will never forge formal ties with China,” he said. “But such relations will not happen until Beijing commits to respecting basic human rights and the public’s freedom to worship.”
Tu made the remarks at a reception held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday for 11 ambassadors and representatives who returned to Taipei to report on their diplomatic work abroad.
Tu said a lot of foreign media had predicted an imminent severance between Taipei and the Holy See in early May when a Chinese philharmonic orchestra performed in the Vatican auditorium for Pope Benedict at his 81st birthday celebration. The rumors intensified later that month when the Vatican did not follow its usual protocol by promptly publicizing the name of the new papal nuncio to Taiwan.
Taiwan established relations with the Holy See in 1942 and it remains Taiwan’s only European ally.
Tu said that Beijing had been pushing for diplomatic ties with the Vatican for the last six decades, but had failed consistently because it refused to compromise on demands the Vatican cut ties with Taiwan, nor would it promise not to interfere with China’s internal affairs, including freedom of worship.
The possibility of official Vatican-China relations was further dimmed in 2006 when China ignored Catholic Church procedure by appointing its own bishops, Tu said.
“Any members of the Catholic church can attest to the fact that bishops must be named under papal authority. No governments or any other organizations have the right to appoint their own bishops,” Tu said.
Last November, a Vatican delegation visited Beijing and hinted at the possibility of moving its embassy from Taiwan to Beijing.
The Vatican diplomatic mission in Taiwan has repeatedly assured the country that the pope would never abandon Taiwanese in spite of warming relations between the Holy See and Beijing.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS