Taiwan was upbeat yesterday over its leader's unprecedented visit to the Vatican for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, seeing it as a rare breakthrough in the diplomatic struggle with the mainland.
But analysts said while President Chen Shui-bian's trip was a short-term gain in upholding Taiwan's sovereign status, Taipei's relations with the Vatican might change in the face of Beijing's all-out war of diplomacy.
Accompanied by three Taiwanese religious leaders and Foreign Minister Mark Chen Tan-sun, Mr Chen left for Rome yesterday on a trip the local media have dubbed 'funeral diplomacy'.
Mr Chen originally believed it would not be possible for him to personally attend the Pope's funeral - even when he was invited on Tuesday by the Holy See's charge d'affairs, he did not immediately accept.
That was mainly because he needed to obtain an entry permit from Italian authorities to pass through Rome to the Vatican.
As Taiwan and Italy do not have formal relations, obtaining such a visa was not a formality.
