China official says no timetable on Vatican ties

BEIJING, Apr 13 (Reuters) China has no timetable for re-establishing ties with the Vatican, a religious official was quoted as saying, throwing into doubt earlier reports that the two sides could have diplomatic relations by the 2008 Olympics.

Qi Xiaofei, deputy head of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, made the remarks on Wednesday in Hangzhou where the World Buddhist Forum, China's first international religious meeting since the Communists swept to power in 1949, got under way today.

Ties between China, whose Catholics must worship in state-backed churches, and the Vatican were cut in 1951. The Vatican has formal relations with Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing considers a breakaway province.

''We gave two clear and consistent principles on handling Sino-Vatican relations,'' Qi told the official Xinhua news agency in an interview.

''The Vatican must sever the so-called 'diplomatic relations' with Taiwan and recognise the Chinese government as the sole legitimate government of China and not interfere in our internal affairs in the name of religion.'' Momentum for rapprochement between the Vatican and China appeared to have been building since the death of Pope John Paul last year and as the Beijing Games approach.

Earlier this month, Ye Xiaowen, director of the cabinet's State Bureau of Religious Affairs, said China could establish relations with the Vatican ''very soon'' if it broke ties with Taiwan and refrained from interfering in China's affairs.

Ye gave no timetable.

Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, who has taken an active interest in Sino-Vatican affairs, said the two sides could re-establish ties by 2008.

REUTERS SY RAI0939