Sino-Vatican relations will not be re-established through 'a couple of discussions', a leader of the state body which controls the Catholic Church on the mainland said yesterday.
The remarks by Anthony Liu Bainian, a vice-chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, came as the Foreign Ministry declined to confirm that a high-level Vatican delegation was visiting Beijing to negotiate the re-establishment of ties.
Veteran Vatican negotiator and China policy expert Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, and Monsignor Gianfranco Rota Graziosi, undersecretary of the Vatican Secretariat of State, are believed to be staying in Beijing until Saturday.
Saying he could not confirm the visit, Mr Liu said his association was not involved in the diplomatic negotiations as this was the responsibility of the governments of China and the Vatican.
'Establishing diplomatic relations between China and the Vatican is not a matter that can be done in one or two days, and no success will result from a couple of discussions,' Mr Liu said, adding he would like dialogue to continue.