Special presidential envoy asks pope to ‘pray for Taiwan’

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s special envoy met Pope Francis on Sunday and asked him to “pray for Taiwan”, on a trip the Taipei government has cast as a demonstration of their close relations even as the Holy See courts China.
The Vatican is Chinese-claimed Taiwan’s sole European diplomatic ally, and Taipei has watched with concern as Pope Francis has moved to improve relations with China. The democratically governed island has formal ties with only 14 countries, largely due to Chinese pressure.
Former Taiwan Vice President Chen Chien-jen, a devout Catholic visiting the Vatican for the beatification of former Pope John Paul I, wrote on his Facebook page late Sunday that he was “specially received” by Pope Francis before the ceremony.
Taiwan’s presidential office says the nine-day visit “demonstrates the close friendship between the two countries”.