Taiwan hopes Pope’s China engagement helps ‘worsening’ religious freedom

Taiwan supports the Vatican’s efforts at engagement with China and hopes it improves that country’s “worsening” religious freedom and human rights, the island’s foreign ministry said after Pope Francis messaged Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Vatican is one of only 13 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, and Taipei has watched nervously as Francis seeks to improve ties with Beijing.
The Vatican is Taiwan’s sole European diplomatic ally. China says Taiwan is one of its provinces, with no right to state-to-state ties, which the government in Taipei strongly disputes.
Francis, in a message to Xi as he flew over China on his way to Mongolia, said on Friday he had good wishes for all the people of China and assured the president of his prayers for the “wellbeing of the nation”.
China’s foreign ministry said the pope’s blessing reflected friendship and goodwill, noting China and the Vatican had maintained communication in recent years.