Stan Shih set to represent Taiwan at APEC
Thestandard · 3 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Taiwan said on Wednesday that Acer founder and honorary chairman Stan Shih would attend next week’s APEC summit in Shenzhen as the government’s envoy, while Taiwanese media described the move as a likely return to the role he last held in 2007. Taipei said it wanted to use Shih’s industry expertise to contribute its views and experience to global trade and economic development. At the same time, Taiwan’s presidential office called on Beijing, as this year’s host, to provide written guarantees that Taiwan’s delegation could join all meetings under conditions of equality, dignity and security. Beijing responded that it handles Taiwan’s participation in APEC according to the one-China principle and the relevant APEC memorandum and established practice.
Key Points
- The APEC leaders’ summit is scheduled for November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen, Guangdong, with China serving as host this year.
- Taiwan’s presidential office was expected to announce Shih on Wednesday afternoon, and Reuters reported Taiwan had already named him as its envoy.
- Taiwanese media said Shih’s business standing could help reduce political obstruction and support the delegation’s smooth participation in the meetings
- Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said Taiwan has continued to join all APEC meetings on an equal basis, calling that standard APEC practice
- Taiwan’s side asked China to issue written assurances covering equal participation, dignity and security for the delegation throughout all meetings.
Why It Matters
APEC remains one of the few international forums in which Taiwan participates, so the handling of its delegation is closely watched as a test of cross-strait tensions and diplomatic room. For Hong Kong readers and businesses with links across the region, the Shenzhen summit may shape the tone of regional economic dialogue while also showing how political disputes can spill into multilateral trade settings.