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Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, will be absent from the funeral of Pope Francis, despite earlier statements from the foreign ministry asserting that securing his attendance was a primary goal in discussions with the Vatican.
On Wednesday, the ministry confirmed that Taiwan would instead send former vice-president Chen Chien-jen as a special envoy. Chen has a longstanding relationship with the Vatican and has met Pope Francis on six occasions. However, this choice leaves Taiwan’s delegation without an active government leader, a significant factor considering the Vatican is among Taiwan’s few diplomatic supporters.
At present, only 12 governments, including the Vatican, officially recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. Amid ongoing pressure from China, Taiwan is frequently sidelined from multilateral organizations, limiting opportunities for its president to engage with other global leaders.
Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Wu Chih-chung, mentioned that discussions were underway regarding the president’s potential attendance. “This is the foreign ministry’s most important aim,” Wu noted on Wednesday, indicating that the Vatican had certain “considerations” regarding Taiwan’s delegation, which he did not elaborate on.
Wu emphasized the Vatican’s independent diplomatic stance, stating, “The church has its own diplomacy, I am not allowed to give answers on their behalf.” His comments came following a visit to the Catholic Archdiocese in Taipei alongside Lai, who did not address the media.
Later in the day, Wu characterized Chen as “the best choice under the current circumstances” for the funeral attendance.
Historically, Taiwan’s leaders have participated in formal events at the Vatican. Notably, former president Ma Ying-jeou was present for Francis’s first mass in 2013, while his predecessor, Chen Shui-bian, attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, representing Taiwan under its official name, Republic of China.
At that time, Taiwan’s ambassador to the Vatican noted that Chen’s presence marked the first visit to Europe by a sitting Taiwanese president.
The relationship between Taiwan and China remains tense, with Beijing asserting that Taiwan is a province of China. This claim impacts the diplomatic relations of many countries, which generally favor ties with China, often swaying between allegiance to either Taipei or Beijing due to diplomatic maneuvering and incentives from both sides. Among Taiwan’s remaining allies, most are smaller island nations situated in the Pacific and the Caribbean. The Vatican holds a unique position as Taiwan’s sole European ally, and according to Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, an assistant professor at National Dong Hwa University specializing in China-Europe relations, the Vatican’s recognition of Taiwan carries considerable weight given its global influence as the leader of the Catholic Church.
Ferenczy states, “Taiwan’s concern is that a warming of relations between the Vatican and China might jeopardize Taiwan-Vatican diplomatic ties, placing Taiwan’s leadership in a precarious situation.”
There are legitimate concerns within Taipei about the Vatican’s recent interactions with China, especially in light of increasing restrictions on religious freedoms in the latter. Relations appeared to become more amicable under Pope Francis, who has navigated controversial agreements with Beijing regarding the appointment of Catholic bishops in China, an issue Beijing insists involves issues of sovereignty.
Public condolences from China’s government to the Vatican were only conveyed during a foreign ministry press briefing on Tuesday, where spokesperson Guo Jiakun highlighted ongoing “constructive engagement” and “extensive communication” on international matters.
When asked about Pope Francis’s expressed desire to visit China and engage with its leaders, Guo reiterated China’s stance that Taiwan remains “an inalienable part of China’s territory,” but he did not confirm whether China would send representatives to the funeral.
Additional reporting by Jason Tzu Kuan Lu
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