Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Pope Francis said on Tuesday that he would go to China at any time, but he had "no news" to s...
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| Image: Reuters |
Francis was asked by reporters who were flying with him to the central Asian republic if he might meet Xi in the country's capital, Nur-Sultan, where both men will be on Wednesday.
The pope said, "I don't know anything about that." "I'm ready to go to China at any time."
Francis has tried to improve the relationship between the Holy See and China, which has been bad for a long time. In an interview with Reuters in July, he said that he hoped to renew a secret agreement on the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops in China, which had been argued over.
Xi is going to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from September 14 to 16. This is his first official trip to a country outside of China since COVID-19 caused China to close its borders almost completely.
Francis will be in Kazakhstan until Thursday for a meeting of religious leaders to talk about peace. The Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who backs the war in Ukraine, won't be there, which stands out.
Kirill was supposed to go to the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, and Francis had said more than once that he wanted to talk to Kirill.
Francis has a knee problem, so he used a cane to walk around the plane and talk to reporters, as he always does on trips like this. When he went back to his own seat, he looked like he was in pain.
