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.

A former Taiwan vice president will attend this weekend’s funeral of Pope Francis as the special envoy of President Lai Ching-te, the island’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday after it had earlier hoped that Lai would attend.

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.