(dpa) - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on Friday at a reception at the Vatican embassy in Taipei urged Pope Benedict XVI to condemn China's crackdown in Tibet.
"China's bloody crackdown on Tibetan people last month has shocked the world. Hereby I would like to call on His Holiness the Pope to condemn violence, and to encourage the search for a solution with the aim of protecting peace," Chen said at the event to mark the third anniversary of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's becoming the Pope.
"I would also urge China to improve human rights and protect freedom of religious belief, to remove missiles against Taiwan, and ensure cross-straits peace and regional stability," he said.