Taiwan protests APEC ‘discrimination’

VARYING TREATMENT: During Chen Shui-bian’s presidency, China had rejected Taiwan’s APEC envoy, but had personally handed an invitation to the MAC head under the KMT

• By Huang Chin-hsuan, Chen Yu-fu and Fion Khan / Staff reporters, with staff writer

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Taiwan has lodged a protest over China’s discriminatory handling of its invitation to the upcoming APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

China, the host of the meeting on Nov. 18 and 19, sent Taiwan a letter, but it was not a formal invitation, an official familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.

China did not address Taiwan as “Chinese Taipei,” the nation’s official APEC designation, in the invitation, deviating from established protocol and downgrading the nation’s status, the official said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ name and logo are displayed at the ministry in Taipei in an undated photograph.

Photo: CNA

The government immediately lodged a strong protest against actions by China that undermine Taiwan’s status, to protect the nation’s rights as a full and equal member of APEC, the ministry said.

APEC is an important regional economic cooperation organization, and preparations for Taiwan’s participation are ongoing in accordance with past practice, it said, adding that updates would be provided to the public in due course.

Taiwan takes part in APEC under the name “Chinese Taipei,” which it also uses for the Olympics, and has traditionally sent a representative appointed by the president to the leaders’ meeting.

As an APEC member, Taiwan should be invited with established procedures and conventions, with this year’s arrangements following the same protocol as last year’s meeting in South Korea, they said.

Taiwan’s representative for this year’s summit has already been selected, and the choice had been communicated to Beijing and would be announced by the Presidential Office, they added.

China has hosted the APEC summit twice.

In 2001, under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration of then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Beijing sent an unsigned fax notification and rejected Taiwan’s envoy, former vice president Li Yuan-tsu (李元簇), prompting Taipei to boycott the summit.

In 2014, during the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration of then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Beijing dispatched then-Taiwan Affairs Office deputy director Gong Qinggai (龔清概) to personally hand the invitation to then-Mainland Affairs Council minister Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) at the Taipei Guest House.

Taiwan was being treated differently again this year, the official said, adding that China only does so with Taiwan, which downgrades and harms the nation’s status.

The government is assessing whether it could accept the arrangements, they said.

When cross-strait relations are bad, China would certainly use the summit to suppress Taiwan, they added.

Even when the KMT was in power in 2014, Beijing had sought to marginalize Taiwan at the summit, they said, adding that the Ma administration had been reluctant to speak publicly about the matter.

Since the DPP has been in power, China has shown no goodwill toward Taiwan and is bound to seek to suppress or belittle the nation at the summit, the official said.

Although previous APEC ministerial meetings had followed established conventions, that does not mean Beijing would refrain from pressuring Taiwan, they said.

China has already chosen to target Taiwan’s representative to the leaders’ meeting by using a discriminatory form of address in its invitation, they said, adding that the government had argued with the Chinese side over the matter.

The key issue this time is whether China’s differential treatment would damage Taiwan’s status, the official said.

Failing to protest against the latest move could allow Beijing to apply the same approach in the future, they added.