China and the Vatican have exchanged views on the possibility of normalizing relations but no date has been set for when this is likely to happen, Ye Xiaowen, China's top religious administrator, said in Beijing yesterday.

 

Ye, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, stressed that the Holy See must agree to two basic principles before diplomatic ties can be reestablished.

 

"We've maintained contact but it has been hard to set a timetable," he told China Daily on the sidelines of a seminar at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

 

He was referring to Beijing's insistence that the Vatican break ties with Taiwan and refrain from meddling in China's internal affairs.

 

"We can establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican very soon if the two principles are accepted," Ye said. "But it is very hard for us to do so if the two principles are violated."

 

The Vatican, the only government in Europe to recognize Taiwan as an independent entity, has suggested some flexibility on moving diplomatic recognition from the island to the mainland.

 

But one of the remaining stumbling blocks stems from the Vatican's demand to give the Pope supreme authority over the appointment of bishops in China, which China views as interference in its internal affairs.

 

The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, founded in 1957, does not recognize the authority of the Pope and appoints its own bishops. However, Ye did suggest the chance of some flexibility yesterday, saying the issue "may be open to consultation" but declined to elaborate.

 

This was the first time China had directly commented on the sensitive relationship issue since Pope John Paul II's successor Benedict XVI announced that establishing diplomatic ties with China was one of his priorities.

 

On March 25, the Vatican's foreign minister, Giovanni Lajolo, said the "time is ripe" for reestablishing diplomatic ties, which were severed in 1951.

 

The Pope has expressed his wish to visit China in the next few years, according to earlier media reports.

 

No Pope has ever visited the Chinese mainland, which has about 5 million Catholics and 6,000 churches.

 

Also yesterday, Ye said Beijing might consider approving the Dalai Lama's visit to China if he completely drops his pursuit of 'Tibetan independence'.

 

"As long as the Dalai Lama makes clear that he has completely abandoned the notion of 'Tibetan independence', it is not impossible for us to approve his visit," he said. "We can discuss it."

 

The Dalai Lama, 70, said last month that he wished to make a pilgrimage to China. His envoys conveyed his request to Beijing in February.

 

(China Daily April 3, 2006)