"We are sincere about establishing ties with the Vatican," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. He also expressed hope that under new Pope Benedict XVI, "the Vatican will create favourable conditions to normalise relations".
The Vatican's position was explained concisely by a cardinal:
"If they give us the possibility, we're ready tomorrow," Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, a former senior Vatican diplomat, said to the London Telegraph.
As the article explains, Taiwan is the official sticking point for the People's Republic of China. However, Taiwan itself responded to the latest reports of the new dialogue:
"China uses Taiwan as a pretext, while the real problem is that of religious freedom," the diplomat, Chou-seng Tou, was quoted by the Italian news agency ANSA as telling reporters in Rome.
I would agree with the Taiwanese diplomat. Taiwan is a pretext. The key question is what would happen after if the Vatican were to compromise and withdraw its recognition of Taiwan. Would the People's Republic be serious about opening 'a wider door for the activities of Roman Catholic Churches in Mainland China'? I don't think so.
Read the complete article at Taiwan Remains a Question as Vatican-China Relations Progress from Christian Today.
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