Taiwan appoints Acer founder as APEC envoy

RESPECTFUL TREATMENT: Taiwan has called on China to guarantee in writing that it would be able to participate on an equal footing as it has over the years

• Staff writer, with agencies

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The Presidential Office yesterday said Stan Shih (施振榮), founder of computer maker Acer, would attend next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China as the government’s envoy, and called for Beijing’s written assurance that Taiwan would be able to participate on an equal footing.

The APEC grouping is one of the few international bodies that include Taiwan.

Taiwan became a full member of APEC in 1991, participating under the name “Chinese Taipei.”

Acer Inc founder Stan Shih, left, shake hands with President William Lai at an awards ceremony in Taipei on July 15.

Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

China is this year’s host, with the leaders’ summit on Wednesday and Thursday next week in the southern city of Shenzhen.

Shih was selected to represent President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit.

“He [Shih] possesses extensive experience in international exchanges and is a key figure in the development of Taiwan’s technology industry and the internationalization of its brands,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement.

“Representative Shih has long kept abreast of global technology trends and possesses an in-depth understanding of issues such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and technological innovation topics that have garnered attention from APEC in recent years,” she said.

Shih was Taiwan’s envoy to the 2007 APEC summit in Australia.

Taiwan has continued to participate in all APEC meetings on an equal basis, Kuo said.

“This is standard APEC practice and has nothing to do with the so-called one China principle,” she said.

APEC economies have repeatedly reached a consensus on “equal participation by all members,” Kuo said.

“Taiwan hopes China will fulfil its responsibilities as host and provide a written guarantee, ensuring that Taiwan’s delegation can take part in all meetings under conditions of equality, dignity, and security,” she said.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said earlier in the day that the government handles Taiwan’s participation at APEC “in accordance with the ‘one China’ principle and the provisions and practices of the APEC memorandum of understanding.”

“As long as these practices are followed, Chinese Taipei may attend meetings,” TAO spokesman Zhang Han (張?) said.

Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) and Minister of Finance Chuang Tsui-yun (莊翠雲) have already attended APEC meetings in China this year without incident.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said this month that China did not send an official to personally deliver the APEC summit invitation to Taiwan, instead sending an e-mail.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on China to respect “the core principle of equal participation” at APEC and ensure “Taiwan’s right to equal and dignified participation.”

Taiwan normally sends former officials or business executives as its APEC envoy to avoid political problems, and they generally use the opportunity to speak to senior members of delegations from friendly countries such as the US and Japan.