CHINA
AFP
September 22, 2018
By Dan Martin
The landmark deal between China and the Vatican is a win for Beijing, giving official recognition to bishops appointed by the government despite a crackdown on religion, and potentially softening the ground for full diplomatic relations after 67 years of estrangement, analysts said.
The two sides signed a provisional agreement on Saturday on who gets to name senior churchmen, an issue that has bedevilled ties for decades, and China quickly said it hoped for an improvement in relations.
That is bound to mean consequences for self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province, and which has watched helplessly in recent years as its giant neighbour has picked off its few remaining diplomatic partners.
With its outsized international influence, the Vatican is the most important of Taiwan’s 17 remaining friends, and its only European partner.
The agreement on bishops makes no mention of diplomatic relations, but some see the writing on the wall.
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