Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Friday that China has expressed "strong dissatisfaction" about Vatican and Italy's granting a visa to Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian and will not send a delegation to the Pope's funeral.

Qin made the statement when responding to a question about whether China would send delegation to Pope John Paul II's funeral.

"We have expressed condolences over the Pope's passing, but we will not send a delegation to the funeral considering the present situation," he said.

"Italy should proceed from the overall situation of Sino-Italian relationship and take measures to prevent anything similar to happen in the future," he said.

China hopes Vatican will take "real actions" to create conditions to improve the relationship, instead of setting new obstacles for it, he said.

The spokesman said Chen's aim was not to mourn the Pope's death but to "play politics and take the opportunity to engage in secessionist activities to create 'two Chinas' or 'one China and one Taiwan'…. This was what China firmly opposes," he said.

Qin said China has followed the two principles in dealing with the relationship with Vatican. The two principles demand the Vatican to terminate "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan and to promise that it will not interfere in China's internal affairs, including any intervention under the pretext of religious affairs.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2005)