Taiwan is closely watching interactions between the Vatican and China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that China had “repeatedly violated” a 2018 agreement on the appointment of bishops.
The Vatican, which only has formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, would like to establish a permanent office in China, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on Tuesday, in what would be a major upgrade of diplomatic relations.
The Vatican is one of only a dozen states to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and Taipei has watched nervously as Pope Francis seeks to improve ties with Beijing.
Photo: AP
Responding to Parolin’s comments, the ministry said it continued to promote cooperation with the Vatican and the Catholic Church in fields such as humanitarian assistance, and jointly defend the core values of religious freedom.
“We understand that the Holy See hopes to promote the freedom of belief and rights of Chinese Catholics, and has publicly expressed its desire to send representatives to China many times,” it said in a statement.
In the 100 years since the first Chinese synod was held in 1924, China has “clamped down on religious freedom,” and has “repeatedly violated” a 2018 agreement on appointing bishops, it said.
The ministry called on all nations to work together to urge China to stop its “violations of religious freedom and basic human rights.”
Deputy Minister of Environment Shih Wen-chen (施文真) led a delegation to a Vatican seminar on climate change this month, which met Pope Francis, demonstrating the deep friendship between Taiwan and the Vatican, it said.
It also said the Vatican sent an envoy — Apostolic Nunciature to the Philippines Charles John Brown — to Monday’s inauguration of President William Lai (賴清德).
“Hopefully we will be getting your continued support,” outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told Brown during a meeting in the presidential office shortly before the event.
“The Holy Father sends his warm greetings to you,” Brown replied, in comments broadcast live on television.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS