Taiwan, Vatican in delicate balancing act over Pope's inauguration

Attendance by a Catholic ex-VP allows the Vatican to not ruffle China's feathers

- Yip Wai Yee

TAIPEI - Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi told lawmakers earlier in May his ministry will do its utmost to have President Lai Ching-te attend the May 18 inauguration of the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV.

In the end, however, it was not to be.

Instead, former Taiwan vice-president Chen Chien-jen will be travelling to the Vatican again over the weekend to act as the island's envoy, less than a month after doing so for Pope Francis' funeral in April.

Mr Chen, 73, is a devout Catholic and member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. He met Pope Francis six times before the latter died.

Neither Taiwan's Presidential Office nor foreign ministry has elaborated on why Mr Lai will not be attending the inaugural mass.

But analysts told The Straits Times that it likely has to do with the Vatican not wanting to ruffle China's feathers. The latter claims Taiwan as its territory and has long tried to limit its international space.

This is despite the fact that it is Taipei — and not Beijing — that maintains formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See, its only diplomatic ally in Europe.

It is also a break from the recent precedent of then President Ma Ying-jeou attending the inauguration of Pope Francis in 2013, at a time when cross-strait ties were relatively warm under the China-friendly Taiwanese leader.