Taiwan : President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan responded to Pope Francis’ World Day of Peace message saying that her country will stand firmly with the Vatican’s commitment to issues such as nuclear weapons abolition and finding solutions to environmental destruction.

As per tradition, Taiwan’s president

responded to the pope’s New Year message which was this year themed “Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace.”

“I deeply appreciate, and concur wholeheartedly with your sublime and profound message, which calls for disarmament and the abolition of nuclear weapons, as well as solutions to regional conflict, terrorism, migration issues, and environmental destruction,” Tsai said in her lengthy Jan. 5 letter (released Jan. 20) in response to the pope’s message released on the 50th World Day of Peace, (Jan 1).

As part of her letter, Tsai described her government’s commitment to peace since she became president last May, especially her unwavering stance to maintain the status quo regarding Taiwan’s democracy and peace across the straits.

While heeding the Holy See’s appeal for humanitarian assistance, Tsai noted that Taiwan would continue to “stand firmly on the same front” and assist the Catholic Church in its pastoral work around the world.

Being her first letter to the pope as president, Tsai’s response is “factual and formal without surprise,” Paulus Kuo, a commentator on international affairs, told ucanews.com.

“It seems like a student telling the pope that I have done what you called for and then listed out all the achievements,” he said.

  Catholic Church, Pope Francis, Taiwan