"With stagnant economic growth at home, Ma’s approval rating has been in the teens since last summer.
"The meeting, the first between and pope and a Taiwan president, lasted just 45 seconds, a Taiwan broadcaster noted. Despite the brevity of Ma’s big diplomatic moment, China was not amused.
(b) Pope Gets First Taste of Simmering China-Taiwan Dispute. AFP, Mar 21, 2013 http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest ... ina-taiwan-dispute/
("Li Xiaoyong, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Rome, told AFP: 'There will be no delegation from China. China has expressed its congratulations'")
My comment: There is no need to read the rest of the AFP report.