HONG KONG, May 11 (UPI) -- China has no timetable for establishing diplomatic ties with the Vatican, but negotiation channels remain open, Beijing's representative in Hong Kong said.
Lu Xinhua, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, was speaking Wednesday, just days after the Vatican criticized China's ordination of two Catholic bishops without the endorsement of Pope Benedict XVI.
Lu reiterated that the Holy See must sever ties with Taiwan and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs if ties were to be normalized, China Daily reported.
Beijing has ordained its own bishops since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
China's state-sanctioned Catholic churches have ordained over 170 bishops, and they have helped spread the gospel and increase the number of Catholics in the country from 2.7 million half a century ago to 5 million today, Lu said.
Cardinal Joseph Zen of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese, which follows Rome, had said that the ordination would hinder China-Vatican ties.
Lu said that Zen should "correctly understand" China's position and "try to convince the Vatican to respect and accept China's stance on the issue."
