Taiwan’s labor minister to visit Nanjing for APEC meeting — South China Morning Post
Taiwan’s Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han is due to arrive in Nanjing, China, on Sunday to take part in a ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). He may become the first government member of Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te’s administration to visit mainland China since the president took office in May 2024, the South China Morning Post reports.
At the meeting on Monday, Hung Sun-han plans to discuss employment, vocational training, social security and the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs. He will be the highest-ranking Taiwanese representative to travel to China for APEC events this year.
Taiwan’s participation in APEC
Ahead of the trip, the minister stressed that Taiwan is a full participant in APEC under the name “Chinese Taipei.” He said he would participate in accordance with the grouping’s established procedures and the principles of equal participation and mutual dignity.
Earlier this year, Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Lai Chien-hsin attended an energy ministerial meeting in Beijing, while chief trade negotiator Yang Jen-ni visited a meeting of trade ministers in Suzhou in May.
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Assessments by politicians and analysts
Kuomintang opposition lawmaker Lee Yen-hsiu called the trip a small but important step for cross-strait relations. At the same time, analysts caution against interpreting the visit as a resumption of official dialogue between Taipei and Beijing, which remains suspended.
Wang Kun-yi, head of the Taiwan International Strategic Studies Society, noted that Hung Sun-han is arriving for a multilateral event rather than direct talks with Chinese authorities. In his view, a substantial shift could only be discussed if there were substantive contacts, including a meeting between the minister and representatives of mainland China.
Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council, said that Taiwan’s participation in APEC events since 1991 has been carried out in accordance with the “one China” principle, the provisions of APEC memorandums and established practice. Taipei rejects this interpretation, saying that the APEC accession memorandum does not mention this principle and provides for equal participation with other members.
