Taiwan will participate in this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in China on the basis of equal treatment among members, President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday, as Taipei seeks assurances that Beijing will not use its position as host to restrict the island’s participation.
Lai’s comments came as Taiwan appointed Acer founder Stan Shih as its envoy to the summit, scheduled for next week in Shenzhen, southern China. The Taiwanese government had called for a written guarantee from Beijing that its representatives would be allowed to participate on an equal basis with other APEC members.
APEC is one of the few international organizations in which Taiwan participates, providing an important channel for economic and trade engagement with regional economies. China, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, has repeatedly opposed the island’s participation in international organizations under arrangements that could suggest recognition of its separate political status.
Register for the next Tekedia Mini-MBA.
Register for Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and co-invest in great global startups.
Speaking at the presidential office in Taipei, Lai described APEC as the region’s most important multilateral mechanism for trade and economic cooperation and said Taiwan would attend under the same principles governing other members.
“All members interact on an equal basis, and Taiwan is participating in this year’s APEC meeting on that same principle,” he said.
Lai also thanked countries that had supported Taiwan’s participation during preparations for the summit, although he did not identify them.
“I want to thank the many like-minded countries that, during the preparations for the APEC meeting, have consistently emphasized the importance of Taiwan’s participation in all meetings,” he said.
China’s position remains that Taiwan’s participation must be handled under the one-China principle. Its foreign ministry said late Wednesday that it manages the “Taiwan region’s” participation in APEC in accordance with that principle and the rules and customs established by relevant APEC memorandums of understanding.
“As long as these practices are followed, the Taiwan region’s representatives can attend meetings as normal,” the ministry said.
The difference in language reflects the competing positions surrounding Taiwan’s international participation. Taipei insists that it should engage with other APEC members on equal terms, while Beijing maintains that its participation must conform to China’s interpretation of the island’s status.
The dispute carries particular sensitivity because China is hosting the summit. Taiwan’s presidential office spokesperson, Karen Kuo, said after Lai’s announcement that Taipei would seek an immediate correction if its representatives experienced unfair treatment.
“No member should use unilateral political conditions to interfere with or affect the terms of participation of other members,” Kuo said.
The disagreement comes against a backdrop of deteriorating relations between Taipei and Beijing. China refuses to engage with Lai, describing him as a “separatist”, while its military maintains a regular presence around Taiwan. Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims over the island.
Participation in APEC provides Taiwan with an opportunity to maintain economic relationships and engage directly with senior officials and business representatives from major regional economies, even as its formal diplomatic space remains restricted.
Lai said he had asked Shih to communicate Taiwan’s position on regional economic cooperation and the challenges facing the global economy.
He cited geopolitical tensions, energy pressures and the restructuring of supply chains, saying Taiwan would continue to serve as a stable and trustworthy force in the regional economy.
“Taiwan will deepen cooperation and exchanges with key partner countries to jointly safeguard regional prosperity and stability,” he said.
The appointment of a business figure rather than a serving government official follows Taiwan’s established approach to APEC. The island normally sends former officials or business executives as its representatives to avoid direct political complications arising from Beijing’s objections.
Those envoys often use the summit to meet senior members of delegations from countries with which Taiwan maintains close economic and unofficial diplomatic ties, particularly the United States and Japan.
Shih previously served as Taiwan’s APEC envoy at the 2007 summit in Australia. His selection gives Taipei a representative with experience in the forum and links to the technology industry, an important part of Taiwan’s regional economic engagement.
The summit is also expected to provide an opportunity for high-level US-China engagement. US President Donald Trump is expected to hold his third meeting of the year with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shenzhen.
Taiwanese representatives have occasionally interacted with Xi at previous APEC meetings, although such encounters have generally been limited to brief exchanges, including handshakes or waves.
The possibility of another encounter remains diplomatically sensitive. Any interaction would take place within the constraints of Beijing’s opposition to treating Taiwan as a sovereign state and Taipei’s insistence on maintaining its international participation.