Taiwan is participating in this year’s APEC leaders’ summit in China on the principle of interaction on an “equal basis”, President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday, after his government called for a written guarantee from Beijing for that to happen.
Speaking at the presidential office in Taipei to introduce computer maker Acer founder Stan Shih as his envoy to the summit, Lai said APEC is the most important multilateral mechanism for trade and economic cooperation in the region. “I want to thank the many like-minded countries that, during the preparations for the APEC meeting, have consistently emphasised the importance of Taiwan’s participation in all meetings,” Lai said, without naming any countries. China’s foreign ministry said late Wednesday that it handles the “Taiwan region’s” participation at APEC “in accordance with the one-China principle and the rules and customs of relevant APEC memorandums of understanding”. Speaking after the press conference, presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo said Taiwan would request immediate correction if unfair treatment occurs. “No member should use unilateral political conditions to interfere with or affect the terms of participation of other members,” she said. Lai said he wanted Shih to convey several messages at the summit, including that as the global economy faces challenges from geopolitics, energy, and supply chain restructuring, Taiwan will continue to serve as a stable and trustworthy force.
US President Donald Trump is expected to have his third meeting of the year with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Shenzhen.
