The Vatican has not entered into negotiations with Beijing on the establishment of formal diplomatic ties, Taiwan's ambassador to the Holy See said on Thursday.
Ambassador Tou Chou-seng (
diplomatic relations
Noting that the Vatican had never hidden its intention to establish full diplomatic relations with China, Tou said the two sides still had differences of opinion on matters of religious freedom and the appointment of Catholic bishops.
Describing Zen's remarks as being of a personal nature, Tou said the Vatican had not commented on the matter.
To the best of his understanding, Tou said, the Vatican and China had not yet begun negotiating, nor drawn up a timetable for forging diplomatic ties.
Tou said he respected Zen's frankness, but hoped Zen would take the feelings of the Taiwanese into account when making public comments.
cardinal
Zen will be one of the first bishops elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, who succeeded Pope John Paul II. Zen's elevation is expected to be greeted with much pride and excitement by Catholics in Hong Kong, as it is seen as a recognition of the bishop's stance on social justice and as an honor for the church in Hong Kong.
Tou was invited to attend the ceremony, scheduled to be held yesterday.
Tou said he would congratulate Zen on behalf of the government and extend an open invitation for the bishop to visit Taiwan at his convenience.
Tou said that ties between Taiwan and the Vatican remained firm and that the Vatican was pleased with the nation's respect for religious freedom and welcomed its efforts to promote freedom, peace and charity around the world.
According to Tou, a senior Vatican official had assured him that the Holy See would not seek diplomatic ties with China at Taiwan's expense.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is aware that Beijing’s treatment of Hong Kong has weakened any possible sentiment for a “one country, two systems” arrangement for Taiwan, and has instructed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) politburo member Wang Huning (王滬寧) to develop new ways of defining cross-strait relations, Japanese news magazine Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday. A former professor of international politics at Fu Dan University, Wang is expected to develop a dialogue that could serve as the foundation for cross-strait unification, and Xi plans to use the framework to support a fourth term as president, Nikkei Asia quoted an anonymous source
LUCKY DATE: The man picked the 10th ‘Super Red Envelope’ in a lottery store in Taoyuan’s Jhongli because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10 A man who recently broke up with his girlfriend won a NT$1 million (US$32,929) prize in the “NT$20 million Super Red Envelope” lottery after picking a card based on the date of their breakup, Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The man, in his 20s, bought the 10th ticket at a lottery store in Taoyuan’s Jhongli District (中壢), because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10, the store owner told the lottery company. The “Super Red Envelope” lottery was a limited offering by the company during the Lunar New Year holiday, which ended yesterday. The cards, which cost NT$2,000 each, came with
A senior US senator on Monday questioned the willingness of some US allies to help defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Although Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) expects the US and Japan to respond in a war in the Taiwan Strait, he was “a little less confident what our other allies would do,” US Senator John Cornyn said. Australia and New Zealand have voiced support for Taiwan, but it “is a far cry from committing troops to repel an invasion,” Cornyn said during a discussion on China, Russia and the state of US military readiness at a forum hosted
TOURISM BOOST: The transportation system could help attract more visitors to the area, as the line is to connect multiple cultural sites, a city councilor said Residents in New Taipei City’s Ankeng District (安坑) said the local light rail system might have a positive influence, but raised questions about its practicality. The Ankeng light rail system, which is to commence operations after the Lunar New Year holiday, would cut travel time for commuters from Ankeng to downtown Taipei or New Taipei City by 15 to 20 minutes, the city government said. According to the initial plan, there would be one train every 15 minutes during peak time and additional interval trains would run between the densely populated Ankang Station (安康) and Shisizhang Station (十 四張). To encourage people to
RSS