TAIPEI: Taiwan’s Labour Minister Makes Historic Trip to China for APEC Meeting
Taiwan’s labour minister, Hung Sun-han, has made a significant visit to China to attend an APEC ministerial meeting, marking the first occasion a senior Taiwanese government official has traveled to the mainland since President Lai Ching-te took office two years ago.
This year, China is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), raising concerns about Taiwan’s participation in the international discussions. To ease these worries, Minister Hung took a flight to Nanjing on Sunday evening, where he will engage in meetings on Monday before returning to Taiwan.
During a recent press briefing, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, stated that Taiwan’s involvement in APEC will be managed according to the “one-China principle.” However, Minister Hung emphasized that his visit would adhere to an approach that respects “parity and dignity.”
He expressed the importance of APEC as a crucial international platform for economic and trade discussions. During the upcoming meetings, the Taiwanese delegation aims to share their knowledge and experiences regarding labor and human resource issues with other APEC nations.
Hung’s itinerary does not include visits to other Chinese cities, according to Taiwan’s labour ministry. It was noted that members of Taiwan’s delegation have already attended various APEC meetings across China this year, including a visit to Suzhou in May.
The APEC ministerial meetings will lead up to the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November in Shenzhen, where prominent global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, are expected to convene.
APEC consists of 21 member economies and is one of the few international organizations where Taiwan maintains full membership status. Historically, Taiwanese presidents have designated special envoys to represent them at prominent summits.
