World

Pope Barred From Hong Kong

August 9, 1999 / 1:29 PM EDT / AP

Pope John Paul II will not come to Hong Kong this year, a Roman Catholic Church spokeswoman said Monday. A newspaper said China blocked the proposed visit because the Vatican maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

The South China Morning Post reported Monday that Vatican officials seeking to arrange a papal visit were Â"rebuffed by mainland officialsÂ" over the Vatican's ties to Taiwan.

Church officials in Hong Kong said they had no official explanation from the Vatican as to why John Paul will not visit during this fall's Asian trip.

Â"Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, and a visit by the pope is a rather complicated issue,Â" the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a written statement explaining its decision. Â"The Vatican is well aware of this.Â"

Local Roman Catholic leaders learned several weeks ago that the pope would not be coming, said Mary Seung, spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong.

Â"Officially, we have not heard any explanation from Rome at all,Â" Seung said.

The pope has expressed interest in visiting Hong Kong, but Seung said the territory had been just one of several proposed destinations.

Seung said it would be difficult to arrange a visit to Hong Kong because the Vatican has no formal ties with Beijing, which has controlled Hong Kong's foreign affairs since it regained sovereignty over the former British colony on July 1, 1997.

The Roman Catholic Church has about 370,000 practicing members in Hong Kong.

A Hong Kong government spokeswoman, Ella Tam, said she had no immediate comment on the newspaper report. The Vatican's press office also declined comment.

Tensions have increased between China and Taiwan since Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui infuriated Beijing by saying last month that relations between the two should be conducted on a Â"state-to-stateÂ" basis.

China has threatened military action should Taiwan declare formal independence, and Beijing has characterized Lee's comments as a dangerous step in that direction.

China and Taiwan split politically amid civil war in 1949, but China still regards Taiwan as a renegade province, to be reclaimed by force if necessary.