Relationship dossier
Vatican City
People's Republic of China
Relationship assessment
Bishop-appointment cooperation continues amid disputes over implementation and religious governance.
Vatican City toward People's Republic of China
+15The Holy See has pursued engagement with China on Catholic Church affairs and signed a provisional agreement with Beijing in 2018 concerning the appointment of bishops, later renewing it. The Holy See has also objected to Chinese appointments made without its agreement.
People's Republic of China toward Vatican City
-25China entered into a provisional agreement with the Holy See on episcopal appointments, but its implementation has been disputed. In 2022, the Holy See objected after Chinese authorities appointed a bishop in Jiangxi without its approval; in 2023, Beijing appointed a bishop to Shanghai without prior consultation.
Overall relationship
-10The relationship combines sustained engagement over the governance of the Catholic Church in China with recurring disputes about episcopal appointments and state authority over religious affairs. The provisional agreement provides a channel for cooperation, but contested implementation and the Holy See’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan remain significant structural sources of friction.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Holy See and China maintain a channel of engagement over the appointment of Catholic bishops, including a provisional agreement first signed in 2018 and subsequently renewed. Cooperation has been accompanied by disputes over implementation and the Chinese state’s control of religious affairs. The Holy See also maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a point of sensitivity in its dealings with Beijing.
Areas of tension
- Disputes over whether Chinese authorities consult the Holy See before appointing bishops
- Chinese state control of religious affairs and the Catholic Church
- The Holy See's diplomatic relations with Taiwan
Key developments
The Holy See and China signed a provisional agreement concerning the appointment of bishops.
The Holy See objected to China's appointment of a bishop in Jiangxi without its approval.
China appointed a bishop to Shanghai without prior consultation with the Holy See; the Holy See later appointed him to the post.
Major uncertainties
- The full terms and practical implementation of the bishop-appointment agreement are not public.
- The extent to which Chinese authorities will consult the Holy See before episcopal appointments remains uncertain.