INTERNACIONAL
Taiwan on edge after Pope Francis’s death, closely watching Vatican-China relations
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan – Some in Taiwan are watching with growing unease as the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new leader following the death of Pope Francis. The Holy See is the only European state that maintains diplomatic relations with Taipei, but some fear the growing ties between the Vatican and Beijing could change things.
Taiwan is home to fewer than 300,000 Catholics. By contrast, estimates put the number of Catholics in communist China at anywhere between eight and 12 million, with another 390,000 in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong. Despite these figures, the Holy See continues to recognize Taiwan as the sole «China.»
After Pope Francis’ death, Taiwan’s President William Lai quickly said he planned to attend the funeral. A short time later, however, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that former Vice President and devout Catholic Chen Chien-jen will be Taiwan’s envoy.
POPE FRANCIS EMPHASIZED CATHOLICISM GLOBALLY, REACHED BEYOND US, EUROPE INTO IMPOVERISHED NATIONS
This picture taken on August 10, 2018, shows worshippers lining up to receive holy communion during a Catholic mass in the Holy Spirit Church in Yanshui, about an hour’s drive from the southern city of Tainan. With a cross rising from a red pagoda roof and two lion statues guarding the entrance, a Catholic church in southern Taiwan could easily be mistaken for one of the ubiquitous temples dotting the island. There are more than 1,000 churches across the island, but the Holy Spirit Church is particularly unique. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Taipei-based lawyer and political risk analyst Ross Feingold, Taiwan will be disappointed that President Lai will miss this gathering of world leaders. «The precedent exists for Taiwan’s president to attend a pope’s funeral. In 2005, then-President Chen Shui-bian attended John Paul II’s funeral, so,» he claimed, «it’s safe to assume President Lai’s team inquired whether Lai could attend Francis’ funeral, and equally safe to assume the Holy See’s response was a negative one.»
After Pope Francis took office in 2013, the Vatican began to build ties with Beijing. In 2018, it signed a controversial agreement with China on the appointment of bishops. The deal—renewed and extended several times—gives both sides input on bishop selection, an attempt to bridge the divide between China’s state-run Catholic Church and an underground church loyal to Rome. Vatican officials insist the agreement is pastoral, not political. Still, for Taiwan, it is seen as a warning sign.
This picture taken on August 10, 2018, shows a motorcyclist riding past the Holy Spirit Church in Yanshui, about an hour’s drive from the southern city of Tainan. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
China, which cut ties with the Holy See in 1951, demands that all countries end diplomatic relations with Taiwan before establishing relations with Beijing. Taiwan’s official allies now number but 12, and the Holy See is its most symbolically significant diplomatic partner.
But Thomas Tu, a Vatican diplomacy expert at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University, told Fox News Digital that fears of an imminent switch are overblown. «This isn’t just about politics—it’s about the global Catholic mission,» Tu said. «The Vatican has survived empires. It’s patient.» Tu cited the Vatican’s relationship with Vietnam as evidence of pragmatic patience. China and Vietnam do not have formal ties, but the Vatican maintains a high-level religious representative there.
FIRST PHOTOS RELEASED OF POPE FRANCIS IN HIS CASKET; FUNERAL SET FOR SATURDAY
People attend a Christmas mass at the Xishiku Catholic Church in Beijing on December 24, 2023. (Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Image)
Pope Francis believed that engagement with China, however imperfect, is preferable to nothing. Francis was the first pope to fly through Chinese airspace and famously sent greetings to President Xi Jinping in 2014. On his visit to Mongolia in 2023, the pontiff also sent a «warm greeting to the noble Chinese people.»
Each overture to Beijing has drawn criticism from within the Church, particularly from outspoken China critics, such as 93-year-old retired Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, who was arrested in 2022 after China imposed a National Security Law that criminalized almost every form of dissent in that supposedly autonomous special administrative region. Zen’s passport was recently returned to him by authorities so he could attend the pope’s funeral.
Zen and others view any warming of ties with Beijing as kowtowing to an officially atheist regime.
Pope Francis greets the people of China as he concludes Mass in the Hun Theatre on September 3, 2023, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Since 1957, Beijing, via its Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, has kept a tight leash on millions of Chinese Catholics. Pope Francis accepted some compromises with China, but the Vatican wants autonomy in spiritual matters, which may require a miracle to accomplish under China’s one-party dictatorship.
Some observers suggest that Beijing may eventually allow more space for the Vatican, but any formal deal would require the Holy See to sever ties with Taiwan, a non-negotiable prerequisite for China.
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With a new pope being elected in the next month, some in Taiwan are worried about a shift, but few experts believe the next pontiff will make any hasty decisions. «There’s no rush,» said Dr. Chang Ching, a Senior Research Fellow of the ROC Society for Strategic Studies, «The Vatican knows how to wait, and China isn’t willing yet to grant the Chinese Catholic community the same privileges Catholics enjoy in most other nations. This seventy-plus-year rift is just a tiny moment in the long history of the Church and the even longer history of Chinese civilization.»
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Some U.S. military personnel have been told to leave bases in the Middle East, Fox News has learned.
The order comes amid widespread protests in Iran and threats to intervene from President Donald Trump. Qatar’s government confirmed that some U.S. personnel had departed from the Al Udeid Air Base, America’s largest military base in the Middle East.
Qatar’s International Media Office said the steps were part of broader efforts to safeguard the security of citizens and residents and to protect critical infrastructure and military facilities, adding that any further developments would be announced through official channels.
Trump said on Tuesday that he cut off meetings with the Iranian regime, saying there would be no contact until the government stops killing protesters. He also urged the Iranian people to «take over» the country.
LIZ PEEK: TRUMP IS PUTTING AMERICA FIRST BY BACKING IRAN INTO A CORNER
Some U.S. military personnel have been told to leave military bases in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
«Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!» Trump wrote on Truth Social. «Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.»
«I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,» he added.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that the U.S. may intervene against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime, but he has not offered details of any plans.
NETANYAHU AND RUBIO DISCUSS US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAN AMID ONGOING NATIONWIDE PROTESTS: REPORT
Reports say Iranian authorities have killed more than 2,500 people, though the actual total could be much higher.
People gather during a protest on January 8, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change. (Anonymous/Getty Images)
The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran in reaction to the crackdown.
IRAN’S ‘DISTINCTIVE’ DRONE DEPLOYMENT SEES DEATH TOLL SOAR AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president «has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary.»
«He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that’s something we are seeing right now,» she added.
President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene against the Iranian regime. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
Iranian authorities have used deadly force against anti-regime protesters and have cut off public internet access in an effort to stop images and video from spreading across the globe.
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The protests represent the highest level of unrest Iran has seen since nationwide protests against the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of morality police in 2022.
Reuters contributed to this report.
middle east,iran,world
INTERNACIONAL
Tensión máxima en Medio Oriente: EE.UU. evacúa a militares de su base en Qatar tras amenazas de Irán
Parte del personal en la base aérea de Al Udeid, el principal enclave militar de Estados Unidos en Qatar, recibió órdenes de evacuar antes del miércoles a la noche. Así lo reveló un funcionario norteamericano, que pidió mantener el anonimato por tratarse de un tema sensible.
La medida, según describió la fuente, es “de precaución” y se tomó luego de que un alto funcionario iraní mencionara el ataque con misiles que Irán lanzó contra esa base en junio, en represalia por bombardeos estadounidenses a instalaciones nucleares iraníes.
Leé también Irán: los escenarios que se abren tras las amenazas de Trump y la sangrienta represión de las protestas
El funcionario evitó dar detalles sobre si la evacuación es obligatoria u opcional, cuántas personas están involucradas o si afecta a militares, civiles o ambos. Argumentó que la seguridad operativa es prioritaria y que no se pueden brindar precisiones en este contexto.
Qatar confirmó la evacuación y habló de “tensiones regionales”
El gobierno de Qatar reconoció que la evacuación se lleva adelante “en respuesta a las tensiones regionales actuales”. En un comunicado oficial, la oficina de prensa aseguró que el país “continúa implementando todas las medidas necesarias para salvaguardar la seguridad y protección de sus ciudadanos y residentes como prioridad principal, incluidas acciones relacionadas con la protección de infraestructura crítica e instalaciones militares”.
Leé también Trump apoyó las protestas en Irán y les pidió a los manifestantes que “tomen el control de las instituciones”
Por su parte, el Pentágono y el Departamento de Estado de EE.UU. evitaron hacer comentarios sobre la situación o sobre posibles alertas de seguridad para diplomáticos y civiles estadounidenses en Qatar. En junio, la embajada norteamericana en Doha solo había emitido un aviso de “refugio en el lugar”, pero no llegó a recomendar la evacuación.
Irán redobla la presión y recuerda el ataque a la base
La tensión escaló después de que Ali Shamkhani, asesor del líder supremo iraní, el ayatolá Alí Jamenei, publicara en la red social X: “El presidente de Estados Unidos, que habla repetidamente sobre la agresión inútil contra las instalaciones nucleares de Irán, haría bien en mencionar también la destrucción de la base estadounidense en Al-Udeid por misiles iraníes. Sin duda ayudaría a crear una comprensión real de la voluntad y capacidad de Irán para responder a cualquier agresión”.
El ataque iraní a la base de Al Udeid en junio, que alberga a miles de militares estadounidenses, marcó un punto de inflexión en la región. Según el Comando Central del ejército de EE.UU., ningún personal estadounidense o qatarí resultó herido, aunque un oficial militar qatarí reconoció que uno de los 19 misiles disparados no fue interceptado y golpeó la base. El entonces presidente Donald Trump minimizó el hecho y aseguró que “apenas se causaron daños”.
Leé también Un manifestante irrumpió en la embajada de Irán en Londres y retiró la bandera oficial durante una protesta
La situación se da mientras continúan las protestas antigubernamentales en Irán y Trump advierte que está dispuesto a tomar acciones militares en apoyo a los manifestantes. En este clima, funcionarios iraníes y qataríes mantuvieron contactos en las últimas horas. El secretario del Consejo Supremo de Seguridad Nacional de Irán, Ali Larijani, habló por teléfono con el primer ministro qatarí, jeque Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, quien reafirmó el respaldo de Qatar a “todos los esfuerzos de desescalada y soluciones pacíficas para mejorar la seguridad y estabilidad en la región”.
Qatar también quedó en el centro de otras tensiones regionales, como el ataque israelí en septiembre a la sede del liderazgo político de Hamás en Doha, mientras se discutía una propuesta de alto al fuego para Gaza.
La evacuación en la base de Al Udeid refleja el delicado equilibrio que enfrenta Qatar, atrapado entre las amenazas cruzadas de Irán, Estados Unidos e Israel, y la necesidad de proteger a su población y a las fuerzas extranjeras que operan en su territorio.
Estados Unidos, Irán, Qatar
INTERNACIONAL
House Dem lashes out at ‘racist’ MN fraud probe amid major investigation in his own state
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As House Oversight Democrats denounced a hearing on Minnesota’s sprawling fraud scandal as politically motivated, Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., took it further — calling the investigation «partisan and racist.»
But back in California, state auditors have repeatedly flagged major programs as «high-risk» for waste and improper payments, raising fresh questions about whether Min is dismissing scrutiny he wouldn’t want aimed at his own state.
During a House Oversight Hearing earlier this month on the fraud issues in Minnesota, Min said, «We have not seen evidence of any type of fraud on the scale we’re talking about» in California. Min added during the hearing that he had concerns about the ongoing fraud in Minnesota, which has included a significant portion of Somali immigrant perpetrators, but said he had issues with the probe because it appeared Trump was only targeting Democrat-led states, and not Republican-led states as well.
MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR JACOB FREY ADMITS FRAUD CRISIS IS REAL, SAYS ‘EVERYBODY COULD HAVE DONE MORE’ TO PREVENT IT
Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., called a federal oversight hearing looking into widespread fraud in Minnesota «partisan and racist,» leading some critics to call him out for turning a blind eye to widespread fraud in his own state. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«I have concerns about this hearing as well as recent actions by the Trump administration. It’s hard for me not to look at this hearing in the context in which it’s taking place and not see this as a partisan and racist hearing,» Min complained.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on these accusations from Min but did not receive a response in time for publication.
«Democrats will do anything to deflect from the fraud that has been allowed to run rampant on their watch, including playing the race card,» House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said. «First, it’s not racist to call out criminal behavior. Second, I wonder what Congressman Min’s constituents have to say about him not taking fraud seriously when California taxpayers are also being robbed blind to the tune of $72 billion.»
Representative Tom Emmer, a Republican from Minnesota, during a television interview at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A report released by the California State Auditor’s office last month found several state agencies wasted or misused millions, which follows other audits showing many billions being lost to waste, fraud and abuse in the state, according to California GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.
MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL SPARKS PUSH TO SCRUTINIZE BILLIONS IN BIDEN-ERA ENERGY GRANTS
«It’s totally ridiculous,» Hilton told Fox News Digital of Min’s comments that there is no evidence of California fraud. «We’ve already seen state auditor reports that have characterized tens-of-billions-of-dollars as being improperly spent, starting from the audit of state homelessness spending.»
California GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton clapped back at Congressman Dave Min’s (D-Calif.) claim that there is no evidence to suggest widespread fraud in the state. (John Phillips/Getty Images for TechCrunch)
According to Hilton, there are criminal prosecutions ongoing in California pertaining to homelessness spending by officials.
Meanwhile, seven state agencies in California have been denoted as «high-risk» for fraud, waste and abuse by the State Auditor’s office, while an extra agency was also added to the list of vulnerable programs that is regularly kept.
«Vulnerable Democrat Dave Min is more outraged by an oversight hearing than the billions in fraud hurting Americans in Minnesota and California,» said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez. «For Min, accountability isn’t a principle, it’s a problem.»
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Fox News Digital reached out to Min for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
minnesota fraud exposed,california,state and local,house of representatives politics,politics,hearings house of representatives politics
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