China said on Friday it wanted to “reinforce mutual trust” with the Vatican, one of the few states with which it does not have diplomatic relations, after the pope sent a telegram wishing the Chinese people well.
“In recent years, China and the Vatican have maintained contacts, and China is willing to maintain a spirit of conciliation with the Vatican, engage in constructive dialogue, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and promote the process of improving bilateral relations. “, he claimed. Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pope Francis landed in Mongolia today for his first papal visit to this vast and remote Asian nation, sending a message of “unity and peace” to China, with whom he hopes to improve relations.
The visit of the sovereign pontiff, 86, to Mongolia, a predominantly Buddhist country, is a gesture of support for the small community of Catholics, which has about 1,400 faithful, in a population of more than three million inhabitants.
Asked by a journalist aboard the papal plane if he found diplomacy difficult, the pope replied: “Yes, you don’t know how difficult it is.”
“Sometimes you have to have a sense of humor,” he explained.
As the plane flew over China, the Pope sent a telegram wishing “good wishes” to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese people.
“Assuring you of my prayers for the well-being of the nation, I invoke upon you all divine blessings of unity and peace,” Francis wrote, following the tradition of greeting the leaders of the countries whose airspace he crosses.
Source: TSF
