China rules: Why the pope ducked meeting with Dalai Lama

 

The issue of how to handle Tibet is of strategic importance for the Vatican.

China is home to several million Catholics and Protestants, whose freedom of religion is heavily curtailed.

The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Vatican would allow Catholicism in the world's most populous nation to flourish.

Since becoming pope, Francis has given new impetus to the quiet discussions that have been ongoing between Rome and Beijing since the 1980s.

A meeting with the Dalai Lama could jeopardise that, given Beijing's known abhorrence of any gesture of solidarity towards Tibet by other powers.

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