Senior Vatican officials tell Taiwan 'not to over-interpret' deal with mainland on bishop appointments
Church officials say any agreement with the mainland on bishop appointments won’t have ‘connotations’ for the self-ruled island
Taiwan has received assurances from the Holy See that a potential deal with mainland China over the appointment of bishops would not have “political or diplomatic connotations” for the self-ruled island, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
The Holy See, the central government of the Catholic Church, is among only 17 states to have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a breakaway province.
An agreement – if it materialises – would end a long-standing dispute between the Vatican and the world’s most populous country, but the prospect has raised fears that it could cost Taiwan its only diplomatic ally in Europe.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that information from “various sources” indicated an agreement was most likely to be signed in September or October.
On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that two people familiar with the negotiations had said a deal could be signed as early as this month.
Pope says China talks on appointing bishops ‘at a good point’
Responding to media questions about the possible deal, Taiwan ministry spokesman Andrew Lee said on Tuesday that diplomats had been in touch with high-level officials in the Vatican and were abreast of the negotiations’ progress.