TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) confirmed Tuesday that he received a formal invitation from APEC and will attend a Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting in Nanjing, China, on Sept. 21.
The visit would make Hung the first minister-level official in President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) administration to travel to China. Hung said Taiwan will participate as a full APEC member and would be afforded equal participation, per LTN.
Addressing safety concerns over the trip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that more than 300 person-trips from Taiwan had been made to China for various APEC meetings since December, with no incidents reported.
Hung said APEC is an important multilateral cooperation mechanism through which Taiwan participates as a full member. "Under APEC's norms and model, all member countries adhere to the core principle of equal participation," said Hung. He added that the group has long provided Taiwan with an important platform for international participation and visibility.
He said Taiwan's willingness to engage with the international community would not change regardless of where an APEC meeting is held. Regarding the length of his stay and whether he plans to meet specific individuals in China, Hung said he is simply there to attend the meeting.
Hung added that the Mainland Affairs Council and the Straits Exchange Foundation have long been aware of the relevant travel and security issues.
The trip comes amid concerns over the treatment of Taiwanese officials in China. DPP Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) warned Tuesday that Taiwanese officials visiting China could face unequal treatment or political interference and said precautions should be taken.
A person familiar with Hung's itinerary said the minister's attendance would provide an opportunity to meet international experts and interact with counterparts from partner economies. The person said not attending would amount to self-imposed restrictions and could be interpreted as appeasing China, per LTN.
The person also noted that the APEC ministerial meeting is a closed international event that follows established international conventions, potentially reducing the risk of political interference.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee Director Chen I-hsin (陳以信) said the party has consistently supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations and hopes to see a resumption of normal cross-strait exchanges. Chen said cross-strait exchanges are not inherently problematic and claimed that visiting China should not automatically be viewed as risky, per UDN.
