China agrees to rare visit by Papal envoy for Ukraine talks

Hosting a senior Papal envoy is seen as significant, given Beijing’s cool ties with the Vatica

The Chinese foreign ministry said on September 13 that Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi will visit China for talks on resolving the conflict in Ukraine, despite the lack of formal bilateral ties between Beijing and the Holy See.

China's Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will meet with Zuppi, Mao Ning, a spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry, told a regular news conference.

"On the issue of Ukraine, China has always been committed to promoting peace talks," said Mr. Mao. "We are ready to work with all parties and continue to play a constructive role in promoting de-escalation and cooling of the situation."

Since the Ukraine war broke out in February 2022, China has refrained from condemning its ally Russia, although it has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and a political solution to the crisis.

Hosting a senior Papal envoy is seen as significant, given Beijing's cool ties with the Vatican.

The Vatican has bilateral relations with democratically governed Taiwan but not China, which claims the island as part of its territory. The Vatican is the only state in Europe to recognise Taipei.

Sino-Vatican ties have also been brittle due to differences over the appointments of bishops in China.