At a press conference after returning home, Cardinal Shan noted that this was the last appointment of cardinals in this century, and that he was the only cardinal named from Asia. He said that the Pope often expresses his admiration for Chinese culture and Chinese people.
單國璽在返國記者會上說，這是本世紀最後一次任命樞機主教，而他是亞洲唯一受封的樞機主教，教宗也常說「中國文化悠久」「中國人太了不起了」，可見教宗對華人的重視。