Amidst a crackdown on Christianity in China, on September 22 the Vatican and Beijing provisionally reached a major agreement: Pope Francis will recognize seven excommunicated bishops Beijing appointed, in exchange for more influence on who Beijing appoints as bishops in the future. Perhaps mindful of the role the Catholic Church played in the Eastern European democratic revolutions in the 1980s and ’90s, Beijing has long been hesitant to engage with the Vatican. What is at stake in this changing dynamic between Beijing and Rome? Would a deal help protect China’s millions of Catholics, or leave them more exposed?
Meanwhile, over the last several months, Beijing has convinced Burkina Faso and El Salvador to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China. Now, only 16 countries and the Vatican recognize Taiwan, a worrying amount of diplomatic isolation for the island nation. What role, if any, does Taiwan play in Beijing’s talks with the Vatican?