The United States has called on China to ensure Taiwan’s “full and equal participation” when it hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next year, following complaints from Taipei that Beijing had imposed restrictive conditions on its involvement.
APEC is one of the few international organizations in which Taiwan participates as a member economy, under the name “Chinese Taipei.”
Next year’s summit is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen, China, amid sharply deteriorating relations between Beijing and Taipei fueled by increased Chinese military activity near the island.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said earlier this week that China had “added a lot of conditions” to its participation in the 2026 APEC meetings, raising concerns about political interference.
In response, the U.S. State Department emphasized that all APEC members must be treated equally.
“The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies, including Taiwan, referred to as Chinese Taipei in APEC, consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice,” a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The spokesperson also stressed that the U.S. would continue to press China to guarantee security arrangements for all participants attending meetings in its territory.
China’s foreign ministry earlier reiterated that Taiwan’s participation “must comply with the one-China principle,” under which Beijing claims sovereignty over the island.
Taiwan’s democratically elected government, however, rejects Beijing’s stance, asserting that the People’s Republic of China has no authority to represent or speak for Taiwan in international forums.
While no APEC member maintains formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the island has long been allowed to attend APEC meetings, typically represented by senior officials rather than its president to avoid political disputes.
The last time China hosted an APEC summit in 2014, cross-strait relations were more cordial under then-President Ma Ying-jeou, whose administration pursued trade and tourism agreements with Beijing.
However, tensions have since surged, and Taiwan has vowed to resist any attempt by China to limit its international participation.
In 2001, Taiwan boycotted the APEC summit in Shanghai following disagreements over its representation, a scenario some analysts warn could repeat if the current dispute remains unresolved ahead of next year’s high-profile meeting.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
