Pope says meeting with Dalai Lama in the pipeline as he sends telegram to Xi Jinping
Francis leaves door open to Beijing, denies snubbing Buddhist leader
Pope Francis yesterday reiterated his interest in visiting China, as he concluded a six-day tour in Asia. In a tricky balancing act, the pope also said a meeting was on the cards with exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, a to Beijing.
On his flight from Manila to the Vatican, Pope Francis sent a telegram to President Xi Jinping, as he does for each country he flies over. This was the second to China in five months.
The goodwill gestures came following reports that China and the Vatican were seeking to rebuild diplomatic ties, and followed claims that the pope had not received the Dalai Lama in December so as not to upset China - claims he rejected.
The trip was the pope's second visit to Asia since August. On both occasions his plane was granted permission to fly through Chinese airspace, leading him send telegrams from on high. Permission to fly over China has been seen as a significant gesture from Beijing, which has previously denied permission for papal planes to use its airspace.
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When asked about efforts to forge closer ties between the Vatican and China, the pontiff said: "The Chinese are polite, and we are also polite. We are doing things step by step."
