CHINA-POPE FRANCIS AND DALAI LAMA
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On January 19, 2015, Pope Francis denied earlier reports that he had refused to meet the Dalai Lama in December for fear of upsetting China. He told journalists that "The usual protocol of the secretary of state is not to receive heads of state and high ranking personalities when they are in Rome for an international meeting. When there were FAO meetings [the Food and Agriculture Organization summit in November], I did not meet anyone." Pope Francis added "Some newspapers said that I did not meet with him out of fear of China. This is not true. He asked for an audience some time ago. A date has been fixed. But not for the moment. We are in contact."
Commenting on efforts to improve ties with China, he said: "The Chinese are polite, and we are also polite. We are doing things step by step." He also said that the Chinese "know that I am ready to go there [China] or to receive [Chinese officials] at the Vatican." As his plane overflew China, the Pope sent a greetings message to to Chinese president Xi Jinping.
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