Taiwan pushing for president to attend Pope Francis funeral

23/4/2025 14:05

Ensuring Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te can attend this weekend's funeral of Pope Francis is currently the "most important aim" for Taipei's foreign ministry, Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu said on Wednesday.



While a slew of countries, including the United States, have announced their heads of state will attend Saturday's funeral, diplomatically isolated and Chinese-claimed Taiwan, which has formal ties with the Vatican, has yet to say who is going.



Taipei has watched nervously in recent years as Pope Francis sought to improve ties with China.



Speaking to reporters at the Catholic Archdiocese of Taipei after Lai visited to pay his respects to the late pope, Wu said the government was working hard for Lai to be able to attend the funeral in person.



Wu said, "This is the foreign ministry's most important aim," adding talks were in progress with the Vatican.



He said, the Vatican had its "considerations" about who from Taiwan might attend and its own "international relations.