President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has sent a special envoy to attend this weekend’s beatification of former pope John Paul I, saying it demonstrates the close relations between Taiwan and the Vatican.
The Vatican is Taiwan’s sole European diplomatic ally.
Former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) is scheduled to attend today’s ceremony as part of a nine-day trip, the Presidential Office said in a statement on Friday.
Photo: AP
The visit “demonstrates the close friendship between the two countries,” it said.
Chen is also to take part in a reception with the pope for members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, it said.
Tsai expressed hope that Chen would “continue to deepen the friendship between Taiwan and the Vatican, and continue to protect the shared belief in universal values between Taiwan and the Vatican.”
Chen traveled to the Vatican three times while in office, in 2016, 2018 and 2019, including attending the canonization of Mother Teresa.
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