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Taiwan president tells Pope Francis global bodies should stop excluding island
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 31, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 31, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 26, 2026
Taiwan's President urges Pope Francis to support Taiwan's inclusion in global bodies, emphasizing peace and stability. The Vatican maintains formal ties with Taiwan despite China's pressure.
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Global bodies should stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, President Lai Ching-te told Pope Francis in a letter, adding that he agrees war has no winners.
The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to retain formal diplomatic ties with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, and Taipei has watched with concern efforts by Beijing and the Holy See to improve ties.
In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties.
Lai, writing to the pope in response to the pontiff's message on Jan. 1's World Day of Peace, pointed to Francis' comments that worldwide challenges like food crises and climate change should be jointly addressed and not merely viewed as isolated acts of charity.
"I hold this view in high regard. I therefore earnestly hope that international organisations will stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons," Lai said, according to the letter published by his office on Friday.
Taiwan is not allowed to participate in most global organisations due to pressure from China, which considers the island one of its provinces with no right to be treated as a state, a view the government in Taipei rejects.
Lai also referred to China's ongoing military threats.
"Your Holiness has stated that war is a defeat for everyone. I, too, firmly believe that peace is priceless and that war has no winners," he said.
"A high level of consensus has formed in the international community on upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."
China's constitution guarantees religious freedom, but in recent years the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party.
Taiwan puts no restrictions on freedom of faith and has a thriving religious community that includes Christians, Buddhists and Muslims.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Frances Kerry)
President Lai Ching-te urged global bodies to stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, emphasizing the need for inclusion.
The Vatican is one of only 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, despite China's claims over the island.
Taiwan expressed concerns over ongoing military threats from China, which considers Taiwan a province with no right to statehood.
Taiwan allows complete freedom of faith, hosting a diverse religious community, while China has tightened restrictions on religions that challenge the Communist Party's authority.
Lai's letter was a response to Pope Francis' message on World Day of Peace, where he highlighted the importance of addressing global challenges like food crises and climate change.
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