VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV made his first appointment of a Chinese bishop under the Vatican’s 2018 agreement with Beijing, signaling he is continuing one of Pope Francis’ most controversial foreign policy decisions.

The Vatican says the 2018 agreement, renewed until October 2028, is the best deal it could secure despite its undisclosed terms.

A new assistant Catholic bishop was installed on Wednesday for Fuzhou, the capital of China's southeastern Fujian province, signalling that the Vatican's accord with Beijing over Catholic bishop appointments will continue under Pope Leo.