Pope Francis received a bouquet of flowers from two traditionally dressed children upon his arrival in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 3, 2024. Photo: AFP

Pope Francis, at 87 years old, embarked on the longest and farthest trip of his pontificate, beginning a 12-day Asia-Pacific tour on Monday. Chinese analysts see this journey as a "rare opportunity" for the Pope to deepen his understanding of the diverse Eastern civilizations and foster cultural exchanges between the West and East.

The Pope set off on Monday on a tour to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore, a trip that will clock up more than 20,000 miles by air, media reported. 

Originally planned for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID pandemic, the visit is seen as a nod to the importance of Asia, the Guardian reported. Pope Francis is scheduled to headline more than 40 events during the tour. 

"Although conditions are not mature for the Pope to visit China, his Asia tour provides a rare opportunity for the Pope and the Holy See to have a closer understanding of the diverse Eastern civilization, strengthen the exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western cultures," Yan Kejia, director of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Religious Studies, told the Global Times. 

China and the Vatican have no official bilateral relation.

Some foreign media outlets have linked the Vatican's relationship with China to the Pope's tour. "Francis has used several of his foreign trips to send messages to China, whether through direct telegrams of greetings when flying through Chinese airspace or more indirect gestures of esteem, friendship, and fraternity toward the Chinese people when nearby," according to the Associated Press.

Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary for the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education, told the Global Times on Tuesday via email that although the trip is not directly dealing with China, there are a few things to be considered. 

"It is a trip to Asia, indeed to an area of the world that, seen from Rome, is the Far East... Francis has repeatedly expressed his love and admiration for China," said Spadaro. 

He noted that Pope Francis has expressed on several occasions his ardent desire to visit China and his full willingness to do so. 

China and the Vatican signed a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops in Beijing in September, 2018. In October, 2020, the two decided to extend that agreement for another two years.

In October 2022, Wang Wenbin, then spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed China and the Vatican had agreed to extend the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops for another two years.

On August 27 this year, with the consent of the Tianjin Catholic Church Affairs Committee and the approval of the Bishops' Conference of Catholic Church in China, the Catholic Diocese of Tianjin held the installation ceremony for Bishop Shi Hongzhen.

Later, The Holy See Press Office releases a communiqué expressing the Holy See's "satisfaction" with the Chinese government's official recognition of Shi, according to Vatican News. 

Yan noted that the Pope's Asia tour could create a positive atmosphere for negotiation of the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops.