WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Taiwan must be allowed full and equal participation when China hosts APEC next year, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday, after Taipei complained that Beijing had “added a lot of conditions” to its attendance.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation is one of the only international bodies Chinese-claimed Taiwan is a member of, and next November’s summit in Shenzhen will come as relations between Taipei and Beijing have plummeted amid a stepped-up Chinese military pressure campaign against the island.
China’s foreign ministry said this week that Taiwan’s participation in APEC activities must comply with the “one China” principle, which Beijing views as meaning both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one country, something Taipei’s government rejects.
A State Department spokesperson said that APEC members had agreed by consensus last year to China’s offer to host APEC in 2026, and APEC members remain committed to all members participating on an equal footing in all APEC events.
“Our highest priority is the safety and security of U.S. citizens, and we will continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” the spokesperson said.
“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.”
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwan participates in APEC under the name “Chinese Taipei” and does not send its president to summits, to avoid political problems.
Taiwan’s democratically-elected government says China has no right to speak for or represent the island on the international stage.
No APEC member has formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The last time China hosted an APEC summit in 2014, relations with Taiwan were much better under then-president Ma Ying-jeou, who signed landmark trade and tourism deals with Beijing.
However, in 2001 Taiwan boycotted the APEC summit in China after a disagreement over who it could send.
(Reporting by Michael Martina; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)
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