VATICAN CITY: According to the Vatican, on Thursday( Sep 14 ), Pope Francis’ envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, had” open and cordial” discussions in Beijing with a Chinese government official about the need to find ways to bring about peace in Ukraine.
The Roman priest discussed food security and halted grain imports from Ukraine during his meeting with Li Hui, China’s Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs.
According to a statement, the meeting, which” took place in an open and courteous atmosphere, was dedicated to the conflict in Ukraine and its extraordinary effects.”
The Vatican added that” the need to incorporate efforts to encourage speech and locate paths that lead to peace” was emphasized by both sides.
China has refrained from denouncing its ally Moscow since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022, despite regularly calling for a ceasefire and political resolution to the issue.
Zuppi traveled to Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington in June and July prior to his mission to Beijing as part of the Holy See’s thus much ineffective efforts to engage Russia and Ukraine in negotiations.
Given the tense relationships between Beijing and the Vatican, it has been deemed important that China is willing to speak with the pontifical minister.
Taiwan, which is politically governed, has diplomatic relations with the Vatican; China, however, does not. The single nation in Europe to recognize Taipei is the Vatican.
The Sino-Catholic relationship has also been strained as a result of disagreements over the selection of priests in China. The Vatican claims that Beijing has repeatedly chosen priests on its own, breaking a historic 2018 agreement.