Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-beijing-bishop-visit-vatican-9ac8c310b2da5e17ad1b150e4ecd3557
Stephen Chow, the recently appointed Roman Catholic cardinal, invited Joseph Li, the leader of China’s version of the Catholic church, to Hong Kong during Chow’s visit to Beijing in April. Joseph Li is the archbishop of Beijing and has been invited to Hong Kong to strengthen the relations between China and the Vatican which have recently been strained. Chow will meet with Li and different diocesan offices during the visit to promote exchanges between China and the Vatican as well as strengthen structure and policy. Tensions began In 1951, when Beijing’s Communist Party rose to power and expelled many foreign priests, causing tension with the Vatican. China and the Vatican signed an accord in 2018 that determined the regulations of bishop nominations. However, Beijing violated the accord by forcing Pope Francis to appoint the new Shanghai bishop. Beijing also detained Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who spoke out against the agreement but has since released him on bail.
The invitation by Roman Catholic Cardinal Stephen Chow is important because it indicates the Vatican’s attempt to strengthen relations with China despite the recent issues with China violating the 2018 accord and Hong Kong Cardinal Zen’s detainment. Li’s choice to accept the invitation or not will show if China is willing to work with the Vatican which would potentially be beneficial for the 401,000 Catholics in China who don’t fall under the Catholic Patriotic Association, controlled by the Communist Party of China. If Li doesn’t accept the invitation then the protests from Cardinals like Zen may continue because of China’s choice to not follow the 2018 agreement which would have kept the Vatican as the only entity with the right to choose bishops.
The strained relationships between China and the Vatican can be looked at through the lenses of liberal and realist theory. Stephen Chow and the Vatican take more of a liberal approach in trying to repair relations by attempting to be cooperative in order to protect the rights of all Catholics. A believer of liberal theory would view reciprocity as a solution to the issue so that China and the Vatican can develop interdependence with each other and therefore strengthen relations. China has taken a more realist approach in choosing to no longer honor the 2018 agreement about the appointment of bishops because it no longer was mutually beneficial. A believer of realist theory may think that China should pursue its self-interest and not work on strengthening the relations between China and the Vatican because the Catholic Patriotic Association is already in place.