Taipei: President Lai Ching-te has appointed former Vice President Chen Chien-jen as his envoy to attend Pope Francis' upcoming funeral, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced in a statement.

According to Focus Taiwan, the appointment of Chen to the funeral in Vatican City on April 26 was made following discussions with the Holy See. MOFA highlighted Chen's previous interactions with Pope Francis and his role as an academician of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences as indicative of the strong relationship between Taiwan and the Vatican.

When asked by reporters at an event in Taipei whether Beijing had influenced the Holy See's decision not to allow President Lai to attend the funeral, Deputy Foreign Minister Fran§ois Wu did not provide a direct response. Wu instead stated that Chen was "the best choice under the current circumstances," given his previous service as former President Tsai Ing-wen's deputy from 2016 to 2020.

The Vatican is one of the 12 countries that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China. In the past, Taiwanese presidents have participated in significant papal events. For instance, former President Ma Ying-jeou attended Pope Francis' inauguration in 2013, and Ma's predecessor, Chen Shui-bian, attended Pope John Paul II's funeral in 2005.

While the Vatican and Beijing do not have diplomatic ties, they signed an agreement in 2018 regarding the appointment of bishops in China, which has been renewed twice. Although the Vatican stated the agreement was not political, some Western media perceived it as a sign of improving relations between the Vatican and Beijing.

Pope Francis passed away at his residence on Monday at the age of 88, as reported by the Vatican.