China's Foreign Ministry has offered condolences over the death of Pope Francis, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
China and the Vatican have maintained constructive contacts and fruitful bilateral exchanges in recent years, spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference in Beijing.
China is ready to work with the Vatican to continue improving bilateral relations, Guo added.
The two countries last October extended by four years a landmark 2018 agreement on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China. This was a sign of improving relations between Beijing and the Vatican despite tensions over Taiwan – a democratically governed island that China considers its territory and with which the Vatican has formal diplomatic relations.
Go said on Monday that the agreement on the appointment of bishops was being “implemented smoothly“. The spokesman said there was no immediate information on whether China would send representatives to Francis' funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday.
Taiwan has not yet announced who it will send to the funeral, although Taiwanese presidents in recent years have attended some important events, including the solemn mass celebrated by Francis when he ascended to the papal throne in 2013, Reuters notes.
Pope Francis' funeral will take place on Saturday at 10:00 local time (11:00 Bulgarian time), the Vatican said, quoted by ANSA. The Pope's funeral will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, ANSA reported. The body of the late Pope will be taken out for veneration tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. local time (10:00 a.m. Bulgarian time) in the Basilica of “St. Peter“, the Vatican said in a statement, BTA reports.