Taiwanese government member visits China rarely

O Taiwan Ministry of Labour confirmed that Minister Hung Sun-han took a flight to Nanking, where he will attend meetings on Monday before returning to Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and also claims sovereignty over the waters surrounding the island, which Taipei rejects.

Hung Sun-han's journey to Nanking is a milestone, and it is the first time that a Taiwanese minister has moved to China since President Lai Ching-te took office two years ago.

Since China will take over the presidency of APEC in 2026, some fear that Beijing will block or hinder Taiwan's participation in this year's international forum.

Taiwan’s participation in APEC’s meetings and activities would be managed in accordance with the “one China principle,” said Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwanese Affairs Office of China, at a press conference in early September.

“APEC is a very important international, multilateral, economic and commercial forum for us,” Hung told journalists last week.

His visit to China would follow “the existing model” and would be based on the “principle of parity and dignity”, he added.

The Ministry of Labour indicated to the France-Presse news agency (AFP) that Hung had not planned to visit other Chinese cities during this trip.

According to the Taiwanese Government, members of the Taiwanese delegation have already participated this year in APEC meetings in several cities in China.

These ministerial meetings are preparing the APEC summit, which is due to take place in November in Shenzhen, with the expected presence of major world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.

APEC, which has 21 members, is one of the few international organisations in which Taiwan enjoys full membership.

However, over the years the Taiwanese presidents have appointed special envoys to attend the summit on their behalf.