Taiwan is racing to secure President Lai Ching-te’s attendance to the funeral of Pope Francis, a trip that would give the island’s top official a rare chance to mix with other leaders.

Taiwan will be represented at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday not by the country’s head of state but by a former vice president. That’s despite the government saying President Lai Ching-te wanted to attend.

Taiwan will send envoys of the "appropriate level" to Pope Francis' funeral given the deep friendship between the island and the Vatican, the Taiwanese foreign ministry said on Monday, expressing condolences to one of its few remaining allies.