Taiwan’s foreign minister on Wednesday accused China of breaking a written commitment to guarantee the island’s “equal participation” in next year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, saying Beijing has imposed new political conditions tied to its “one China” principle.
The summit, scheduled to be held in November 2026 in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, will take place amid some of the lowest points in cross-strait relations in years, as China intensifies military and diplomatic pressure on the self-ruled island.
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung told reporters in Taipei that Beijing had made assurances at last year’s APEC meeting in Peru, when it was seeking to host the next summit.
“During last year’s APEC meeting in Peru, when China was vying for hosting rights, it made a written commitment to support Taiwan’s equal participation, particularly regarding the safety of our attendees,” Lin said.
“China has now imposed numerous conditions on our participation in next year’s APEC summit in Shenzhen, which violates that prior commitment. We will defend our rights and coordinate with like-minded nations to counter these actions.”
China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated this week that Taiwan’s participation in APEC “must comply with the one China principle,” which holds that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to a single China, a position Taiwan’s government firmly rejects.
Zhang Han, spokesperson for Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday that China would handle Taiwan’s involvement “in accordance with the one China principle and the relevant provisions of APEC memorandums of understanding.”
Taiwan’s democratically elected government maintains that China has no authority to represent it internationally.
The island participates in APEC under the name “Chinese Taipei” and traditionally sends senior envoys or former officials rather than its president to avoid political friction. No APEC member state has formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The dispute recalls earlier tensions: in 2001, Taiwan boycotted the APEC summit in China after disagreements over who could attend.
When China last hosted the summit in 2014, relations were considerably warmer under then-president Ma Ying-jeou, who pursued landmark trade and tourism agreements with Beijing.
Current President Lai Ching-te, whom China labels a “separatist,” has been shunned by Beijing since taking office, with no formal dialogue between the two sides.
The latest APEC standoff underscores the widening gulf between China and Taiwan at a time of heightened regional tensions.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
