The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday downplayed a comment by Pope Francis that he would like improved relations with China and to visit the country, saying it is confident that the “feelings of Taiwanese” would be factored into the Vatican’s dealings with Beijing.
“Bilateral relations between the Republic of China and the Holy See have a long history, and are solid and stable,” ministry spokesperson Eleanor Wang (王珮玲) said when asked if the ministry was worried about ties with the Vatican.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin (林永樂) have visited the Holy See, where they received a high-level reception, she said.
That many of the Vatican’s pontifical councils and charity organizations often choose Taiwan to hold international events also proves that relations are close and strong, Wang said.
Pope Francis on Monday said he would “very much like so much to go to China” during an interview on his flight back to Rome after wrapping up a visit to the UN.
“I love the Chinese people and I hope there is the possibility of having good relations. We’re in contact, we talk, we are moving forward, but for me to have as a friend a great country like China, which has so much culture and has so much opportunity to do good, would be a joy,” he said.
The pope’s comments renewed intermittent rumors that the Vatican plans to break off diplomatic relations with Taipei.
The ministry has been monitoring dialogue between the Holy See and China, as well as other related developments, Wang said, adding that Taiwan has maintained close and smooth contacts with the Vatican.
“The ministry understands that the Holy See intends to open talks with China because it aspires to promote evangelization and in turn facilitate freedom of religion in China,” she said. “We also believe that it will adhere to its religious values and principles, as well as attach great importance to its friendship with diplomatic allies and the feelings of Taiwanese when forging relations with China.”
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Taiwan's Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) said today that the pagers used in detonations in Lebanon the day before were not made by it, but by a company called BAC which has a license to use its brand. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon yesterday. Images of destroyed pagers analyzed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. "The product was not
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai