Taipei: Taiwanese President William Lai will not attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, as reported by local media on Wednesday. Instead, Vice President Chen Chien-jen will represent Taiwan at the event.
According to Ansa News Agency, the Vatican remains the only state in Europe that maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a region over which China claims sovereignty. President Lai’s decision to not attend the funeral could potentially open the door for China to send its own delegation.
Beijing and the Holy See have managed to re-establish informal relations under the leadership of Pope Francis, marking a significant development in diplomatic interactions between the two entities.
