The United States has urged 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 excessive conditions on its attendance.
Washington Presses For Equal Participation
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said that all APEC members, including Taiwan known as “Chinese Taipei” within the organisation should be allowed to take part equally in all meetings. The spokesperson emphasised that APEC members had agreed by consensus to China’s 2026 hosting bid and must uphold the principle of equal participation.
“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, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the spokesperson said.
The statement followed reports from Taipei that Beijing had “added a lot of conditions” to Taiwan’s involvement in next year’s summit in Shenzhen. Washington also stressed that it would continue to seek security arrangements that protect all participants, including U.S. citizens, during APEC events in China.
Beijing Reaffirms ‘One China’ Principle
China’s foreign ministry responded by reiterating that Taiwan’s participation must comply with the “one China” principle, which asserts that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one nation. Speaking in Beijing, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China would “fulfil its duty as APEC host” and that its position on Taiwan’s participation remained clear.
Taiwan, however, rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. Its democratically elected government insists that only the people of Taiwan can decide their island’s future and that China has no authority to represent it internationally.
APEC Tensions Reflect Wider Strains
The APEC summit, scheduled for November 2026 in Shenzhen, will take place amid heightened military and diplomatic tensions between China and Taiwan. The self-governed island is one of the few members of APEC that China claims as its own, yet its involvement in the group has long been a delicate issue.
Taiwan has taken part under the name “Chinese Taipei” since its admission to APEC but traditionally sends lower-ranking representatives instead of its president to avoid political disputes. The last APEC summit hosted by China in 2014 saw warmer cross-strait ties under then-president Ma Ying-jeou. In contrast, relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years as China has increased military pressure around the island.
In 2001, Taiwan boycotted the APEC meeting in China after a disagreement over who it could send, reflecting the political sensitivities that continue to surround its international participation.
(with inputs from Reuters)
