China sets terms to build Vatican ties

April 21, 2005

BEIJING -- Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday that China is willing to build relations with the Vatican only if newly elected Pope Benedict XVI breaks ties with rival Taiwan.

Wen said Beijing also maintains that the Vatican "cannot interfere" in China's internal affairs -- a possible reference to Beijing's rejection of a Vatican role in running Roman Catholic churches in China.

"China maintains that it is willing to build relations with the Vatican based on two principles: The Vatican must recognize that there is only one China in the world, and the Vatican can't interfere in China's internal affairs," Wen said at a news conference with visiting French Premier Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

Wen's comments echoed earlier declarations following the death of Pope John Paul II about conditions for opening formal relations, but it was the first time a Chinese leader has made such a comment in public.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/04/21/china_sets_terms_to_build_vatican_ties/

... and the Chinese oligarchy must recognize that there is only one True Church, that God is three persons in one, and that Jesus is their savior.

You know, I have enough trouble trying to avoid mixing up Jessica and Ashlee Simpson. (Jessica's the blonde supervirgin, and Ashlee is the swinging brunette on MTV -- right?) All this stuff about China and Jesus just makes my head hurt.

--p!

guess that's an internal issue? What about the internal issues of the American government?

There is no state policy mandating abortion, by the way. Even if there were, that's certainly no worse than countries that restrict access to abortion since it's all an attack on reproductive rights. Shall we try to force Saudi Arabia to allow abortion?

I was being satiric.