China condoles death of Pope Francis, seeks continued progress in Vatican ties

Beijing on Tuesday expressed condolences over the death of Pope Francis and reiterated its willingness to continue improving relations with the Vatican.

But experts caution that the future of relations remains uncertain, given unresolved critical issues including whether the Vatican will formally recognise Beijing over Taiwan, and with a landmark agreement on appointing bishops still largely dependent on the next pope.

China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday emphasised the “constructive” momentum in ties with the Vatican as part of its condolence message.

“In recent years, China and the Vatican have maintained constructive engagement and carried out useful exchanges. China is willing to make joint efforts with the Vatican to promote the continuous improvement of China-Vatican relations,” spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

The Vatican has been working for years to improve relations with China, and Pope Francis declared last year that China was “a promise and a hope” for the Catholic Church.

Under Pope Francis, Beijing and the Holy See achieved a historic breakthrough in 2018 after decades of strained relations, signing a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops in China.

  

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